


Dawn Begins

by GoldenGail3



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward First Times, Bobby B bashing, Cersei Bashing, Eh I don't hate Joffrey but Im not giving him a pass for his actions, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, First Crush, Follows Book Canon, I dislike Robert in this regard, I love Margaery Tyrell, I wish Jaime well in canon with Brienne (if he doesn't die first tho), Jof wants to cause another war in this, Married Robert Baratheon/Cersei Lannister, Minor Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Minor Joffrey Baratheon/Margaery Tyrell, Past Relationship(s), R Plus L Equals J, Storm's End (ASoIaF), The Vale of Arryn, Unhealthy Relationships, bc some of what she did in canon was completely fucked up, favourite female heroine in the entirety of ASIOAF, jeyne and Jon have that sort of bond, mostly - Freeform, roberts a bitch towards stannis, that would be belong to cersei/jaime, though there might be some changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-07-20 12:31:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16137302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenGail3/pseuds/GoldenGail3
Summary: Jeyne Arryn, younger sister of the late Elbert Arryn, marries Stannis Baratheon after King Robert marries the keen seductress of Cersei Lannister. She may not know yet, but she plays an essential role in the game of thrones..





	1. Jeyne

**Author's Note:**

> The OC looks a bit like Maddie Hasson in terms of appearance, btw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: I over-analysis everything from my characters to everything else (and yes, I might have some spelling errors in there). I do have Aspergers and I hope it does not affect the dialogue written within this story. Just a warning to people if my sentence sculpture are a bit blotchy and stuff - I do try and make them readable for the most part, but I'm sorry if they aren't.

She sat overlooking the Eyre from her oval-shaped window, with a book _Fire and Blood_ in her delicate hands. She sighed, thinking about Ned Stark and how he kissed her at Harrenhal. It was truly, something passionate, as though he did truly care for her. But now, he was gone and married to his brother's fiancee, Lady Tully, with a bastard son too. She wondered if her supposed refusal of him there inspired him to do something entirely unbecoming of him. She hadn't been expecting him to kiss her, not like that, not than, that was the thing - she had always expected her first kiss to be with the Lord Paramount or otherwise Vale Lord she was suppose to marry. The chances of someone like her marrying a secondary son of another Lord Paramount like he was back than was astronomically low... but... the fact he had become the Lord of Winterfell hadn't been lost on her. She took a sip of her home-made apple juice, which the cook had boiled for her, before settling off of her cream colored bench to go find one of her ladies to help her into her bright blue petticoat and cream colored mountain boots, so that she might go wandering to Runestone to meet her cousins.

But, before that, she walked barefoot across the long blue and cream colored courtyard to get the main part of the Eyre, where the moon door was. Where Alyssa's tears were, always crying as ever oust the moon door. Her mother, a Royce, had said that she sometimes stood nearby the door and watched all the water go out of the Eyre into the deep, dark depths below. Upon entering the room, she'd see the old blue colored throne of the Old Arryn Kings. It was the strongest chair she'd ever seen, and sometimes Jon sat in to take note of disputes, and he did truly look Kingsly sitting in it. It was strong, made out iron, and had the blue Arryn insigma tattooed to it, as it practically stood on a stage of it's own. It even had some small steps leading up to it's cream colored cushion. Sometimes she wondered why the Targaryens didn't just destroy it, when they first came upon the Eyre with their dragons

"I've always like sitting in that chair over the King's Landing one." The voice of her uncle startled her, as Jeyne looked to see him sitting up above her, with a clear pint of orange juice and some crestless cucumber sandwiches on a sliver platter, for the Lord to eat and munch at his liking. "It feels more like home, than the Iron Throne itself, with its multiple sharp edges and sharp knives protruding out of it. Sitting on it on is as comfortable as sitting your arse on a pile of a bunch of swords. Not very comfortable, nor very appealing to the eye, if you ask me." Jon's blue eyes were full of laughter, to her great annoyance. He just scared her out of her mind, anyhow. She frowned.

"Uncle, what are you doing here? I thought you were suppose to be in King's Landing?" Jeyne asked, bewildered.

"I've come to escort you to your lordly husband, Lord Stannis Baratheon. He's the Lord of Storm's End you know, so a perfect match for you, Jenny." He smiled. It was genuine and heartwarming, like usual. Jeyne didn't remember her father, he died when she was still suckling at the breast of her mother, so he was about her father as it could get. Her birth mother came visiting from time to time, though she never remarried after her father perished though. Nobody faulted her for her decision.

"Oh." Jeyne's blue eyes widened. "I thought, someday, that you yourself might have married me... since you know... your childless and I have good hips for childbearing, as you've put it to me so gracefully." She had been brought up to think this actually, due to the fact she had good hips for childbearing, which was very important, and not to mention, she was pretty and young.

"No, my dear Jenny. Not to you, I have myself a betrothed as it is. You might meet her, given that your husband is Master at Ships." He smiled, though a bit wearily. He might have been a bit toothless, but Jeyne couldn't image him anything else as her strong father figure when she was a child. He taught her how to love hawking, which she did from time to time, and taught her self-defense, by shooting arrows and such. She reckoned she could most men a run for their money in terms of being able to shoot arrows, through her brother always defeated her in this. He was blessed with a strong upper body strength than she, and thus could do it. He could beat at her almost everything physical, from sword-fighting, to what not. Though, the one thing she did beat him at was cross-country. She could outrun most people, if she so wished, a lesson she had learned from the Mountain Clans that were haunting the area. In order to shoot arrows at them, one must run very quickly and be very precise whilst doing so. Statuary archery wasn't very useful in the vale, unless you were somehow above them.

"Oh, alright." Jeyne trusted his judgement on this. "What's her name, uncle?"

"Hmm... She's a Tully. About your age, pretty, slim little thing. _Fertile_ too..." He seemed less than pleased about the fertile part, given how he was frowning. Did she dishonor herself? Jeyne wondered. Jeyne herself had never been dishonored, not by Robert... thank the Gods for that.. and nor by Ned, even though she knew he desperately wanted it. He wanted her. She wondered how he'd react to know that she married a second son? Probably with a measure of disbelief.. or jealousy. That might be it. She hoped her marriage didn't stir up any tension between him and her own Lordly husband. "I _suppose_. Which is the only thing that truly matters right now. I need an heir, like you said, Jenny."

"Huh, you didn't answer the question, uncle."

"Her name is Lysa." He said. So, it was Lord Eddard Stark's wife youngest sister he was marrying, now was it? The one that got pregnant by that low born Vale man, Petyr Baelish. He was marrying that whore? Jeyne would never ever let a lowborn like that even near her skirts, much less underneath it. It was no wonder why her uncle looked so very unhappy about this arrangement. He was marrying someone of whom dishonored herself before marriage, a sin to the Gods. To the Maiden. And it probably hurt her uncle's pride too, to not be marrying a maiden, which she should be.

Jeyne nodded. "Lysa Tully. Ah. We'll all be one big happy family, us, the Starks, and the Baratheons." Even though they wouldn't technically be her good sisters, they'd still feel a familiar bond between them, as it was.

Jon chuckled, before standing from his leather seat. He was still a strong man, despite his elderly age. He gave the food and the hoster to a serving girl, of whom bowed before running off meekly. He then walked down the vast, twirling steps to see her one last time, before they went their separate ways for now at least. He'd give her a large hug, which felt nice and fuzzy against her given that he wore the finest myrish clothes and it was such a warm hug, full of a father’s love for what one could prescribe for a daughter , before letting her go gently and taking her arm, escorting her to her chambers. She could still smell his bad breath, but then again, he was a an old man. A old, used up man far past his prime. What else was he supposed to be? She'd no doubt see him again, but she'd never see the bright blue sky of the Vale again, nor the Eyre's soft, bubbly garden she so enjoyed cruising through along side Elbert as they played hawking games with their birds, to see which one of their birds could go the furthest in the vale before coming back with a worm in tongue. She could’ve never have laughed so hard, that day, after her bird rewarded her with a sticky, wet wiggling red fat little worm her bird plucked from the ground to give to her. Truth to be told, she dearly missed and mourned her brother’s passing...


	2. Stannis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stannis deals with an unexpected guest to his nuptials.

He sighed, upon seeing Robert riding into Storm's End with his wife, Cersei Lannister and King's Guard men Jaime Lannister, the two golden-haired twins. Personally, he all wanted was for a peaceful, quiet wedding with his new Lady Wife, without Robert's presence. But alas, the man had to insist bluntly on seeing the wedding, given that Jeyne Arryn was the niece of his adopted foster father, so alas, here he was, nevertheless of Stannis's personal opinion on it. Robert was dressed in a shining outfit of yellow and raven, and wore a stag crown on his raven-colored head. Though he didn't bring his war hammer with him, he was still highly muscular and still road like that horse of his like thunder. Stannis sighed, feeling as though Jon, his hand, wouldn't approve of him being here, not while he was about to marry Jeyne, not a single bit.

"Hello, brother." Stannis saluted him, as the man came riding past with his party. Robert seemed like he was thrilled even, more thrilled than what Jon Arryn would think of this, in any case. The man had rather bluntly refused to marry his niece to the King, when asked about her, that was, and even though Robert himself pondered after her _. I think he just comes here to spite Jon Arryn refusing to marry his niece to him, even though he asked after her_. He found this with weariness, if he was doing this to offend Jon and his innocent niece Jeyne, both of whom lost family during Aerys II's burning, as it was now called, than it was purely done of some level of pettiness and childish angry regarding that fact, which was not a thing a good man would do when faced with denial - a good man would let it go, considering the fact, that Jeyne was his last family left standing after Robert's Rebellion, so naturally, he was more protective of her than most would think. Indeed, Jon had... talked to him about the idea of Jeyne marrying Robert with a level of disdain, but nevertheless, wished an alliance between them and the Eyre, and so choice himself to be the Baratheon in question to broker this alliance. Probably, he'd assume, because he'd be loyal to Jeyne, unlike Robert, of whom was known for a womanizer.

"Ay, I can't wait to see Lady Jeyne. Her brother was always saying no to my advances of her..." Robert sounded vigorously annoyed about that. "Elbert claimed I was disrespecting his house with my advances of her, even though the girl was pretty and willing to my advances enough for a good fucking or two. I suspect that he didn't want his beloved sister having a raven-haired bastard, a fact I can't rightly blame him for." He laughed at the end, although Stannis could hear was untone of clear guilt mixed in there. No wonder why, because Lady Arryn was his sister's friend. Friends don't hit on their other friend's sister's, not unless their arses or something. He supposed. But Robert waved it away just as quickly, when he looked at Cersei Lannister's look of displeasure though. She didn't like this story about Lady Arryn. 

"Does Jon or Jeyne know that you came here?" Stannis wondered.

"No..." Robert pressed his lips together. He didn't even looked shamed, in all honesty.

"Careful now, you risk offending your own hand." Because Jon would react none too well to Robert invading his own niece's wedding ceremony.

"Jon wouldn't be offending, that I'm attending my own brother's weddin' ceremony." Robert pouted, as they walked inside of the keep. It was ready in the both the blue of House Arryn and the house colours of House Baratheon, to commemorate the wedding between the two houses. Besides, he wished to appease his new bride, of whom was to become the Lady of Storm's End, and by extension, he'd be making Jon Arryn happy. He wished to keep the Hand happy and pleased, given that they'd be working together, with himself as the Master of Ships. Sometimes, he found that appointment to be a jest of bad faith, given that he did try and caught the Targaryen children, but they were long since gone by the time he had arrived on Dragonstone. It wasn't his fault, but somehow Robert still blamed him for not catching them accordingly, which was completely unfair. It was more unfair still, that Robert had been tempted to give him that dull rock called Dragonstone. He'd know it, because Robert himself told him so, when rewarding him Storm's End so that he might be of rank to marry Lady Jeyne Arryn and not to offend Jon Arryn whilst giving her hand in marriage.

Stannis had to hold his tongue on this. At least to Stannis, his brother appeared to have no idea how truly angry Lord Arryn could get in terms of Jeyne, his supposedly pretty little niece. He'd had talks with the Hand about her, and he sounded like he truly loved her, as a daughter. As the last surviving member of his family... He'd be more acceptable to being defensive over her. Plus, didn't he know them anyhow? Maybe Robert was just being stupid in regards to their feelings, considering there was certainly a lack of it on his behalf. If Robert cared about the Arryns as a whole than he would be in King's Landing, attending to his lady wife, of whom seemed to look pregnant as it was. He sighed, but alas, he was King, so it was his right to attend. Nothing he nor Jon Arryn would change his mind about this, even though he was sure Jon Arryn would very well wish it, mostly for Jeyne's sakes. The King was well known for making lewd remarks concerning woman, as it was.

"Besides, Jeyne is beautiful. I wish to see her before she gets married of to you - you know, she's got the loveliest blonde locks, not Cersei's golden shining mane, mind you, and the bluest eyes I've ever seen, as blue as the sky, I suppose. But she's nothing but a daisy in comparison to the beautiful rose bush that once... was my lovely lady Lyanna..." He frowned, clearly looking upset. That dammed woman Lyanna Stark, he was never getting over her, but he should. She was _dead_ , whilst his own pregnant wife wasn't. She was still alive, and she looked completely miserable with him, whenever he mentioned her name. He could see it on Cersei's face, and he felt sorrow for her, that his own brother would rather dwell on the past than in the future.

"Stop it, Robert. Stop it now." He was tempted to say it, but Cersei Lannister said it first, in a tone of bitterness. Stannis was even tempted to smile at the Queen's reaction to Robert finding another woman attractive, given that It was his fiancée of all things. But nevertheless, he was thankful for the intrusion on her part. He didn't want to get in trouble with Jon honestly.

"Why, woman?" Robert stated. Stannis rolled his eyes, as he looked at the old Durrandon chair. It was made of a plush yellow material, and a raven-coloured stag emended into it's gentle yellow seating's. It wasn't as grand as the Iron Throne was, but it was grand enough to make one bow to one. On Dragonstone, they had a seat as well; it was of a small red-coloured dragon, swirled up in a beautiful mirage of silver-gold dragon-glass with the three heads of House Targaryen on its backside. It truly a beautiful work of arts men ship  and awing inspiring to look upon - but it was nevertheless, a smaller, less impressive version of the Iron Throne itself. He tried sitting there, imaging what Aegon the Conqueror thought when he came back to Dorne to find Queen Rhaeny and her dragon dead. It was said that he spent many a days on Dragonstone, thinking on his decision making before deciding to stop his conquest of Dorne. It was sort of romantic, that thought of his, even though he had to get back to King's Landing shortly after he stormed it to find Queen Rhaella's dead body. It was cut open by one of the Maesters, and he actually did feel guilt over seeing it though. He ordered her body be burnt though like her husband's was, and he watched it all the same, burning away on Dragonstone. He had heard stories of what the King did to her, and it was not wrong, she looked like she was clawed by a beast, and her neck and face were covered in bruises. It was terrible seeing her. He hoped that her life in death with her Gods were better than it was in her own shortly cut lifespan, at least. 

He ignored the bickering pair to admire the seat, his seat of power. It was magnificent. Just as magnificent as when his father sat on it to take court. It was also said to be created at the same time as Storm's End itself was created, given how elderly the woodwork was on the chair. It was made purely out of an old tree that was growing within Storm's End, a gentle cinder tree, but it's great roots and branches were everywhere on the brickstone cobble behind it, though it got a daily trim to prevent it from growing completely out of control. Winterfell, High Guard, the Eyre, and Casterly Rock all had their own seats of powers, given that they all use to be Kings in their own right - however, it was also said that the Blackwoods held the seat for the Riverlands, but that was an unproven myth thus far.

Robert also wore the helm to match the seat too. If only... _That would make me look one of those old Storm Kings, to go sitting on that chair..._ "Hey Robert, your helm matches you former seat of power." He said, casually. He had never expected that he himself would be the one sitting in it someday, regardless. He always expected Robert would continue being Lord of Storms End, not himself. So, he found the seat fascinating to look upon, even when he was starving along with it during the siege of Storms End. 

"It does." Robert smirked, staring at it whilst ignoring Cersei. He placed a finger on his stag crown, whilst staring at it. He hoped Robert wasn't to disruptive during the nuptials, nor the aftermath, during the bedding. But he didn't know with Robert.. he might, he might not, it was terribly hard to tell at this moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be natural all the old Kingdoms would have other seats of power beyond the Iron Throne. I just wanted to explore what they'd look like.
> 
>  
> 
> ye canon Robert was a real fuckface towards Stannis and his lady wife, just leaving that out there. My other fic isn't really apolgizing for the actions of canon Robert. Keep that in mind, pls.


	3. THE WEDDING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding commences.

Hello King Robert, Queen Cersei." She and her Lordly uncle bowed before them as they entered into the House , though the Queen looked angry about something when looking her over. She felt bashful, staring at Queen Cersei; she was so beautiful, with her long, golden locks of hair that shimmered down her backside like liquid gold, and her eyes, they were a sharp emerald coloured, and they stared at her with something of distaste in her sharp, but seemly cool eyes, which made Jeyne feel slightly unnerved as it was. Her dress was a bright cherry red/golden colour, which were the colours House Lannister, not raven-gold colors of House Baratheon, the house she was married into. I think she hates me. What did I ever do to her? She vaguely wondered, as the woman turned away, walking away from her with something of a frown freckling her delicate features.

"You look as beautiful as ever, Jeyne." Robert looked much the same as he did in the Vale when Jon called him there during the beginnings of Robert's Rebellion, whilst she herself was in Runestone, fostered under the watchful eye of her lady aunt - which was to say handsome, with deep blue eyes and a ringlet of raven-coloured on his head to add to the charm. He was extremely athletic, with large, bulging muscles - and when she was younger, she found him extremely appealing to look upon, and even charismatic too. She was vaguely glad he never gave her a bastard belly, amongst other things. She stared at her uncle. He wasn't looking to happy about this occurrence - given that he had wanted to keep away Robert from her, because he would do something stupid, no doubt.

"She's my fiancée, Robert." Than, she saw her fiancé himself. He was a tall man, overlooking her like his older brother was, but he wasn't as taller than Robert himself was though. He also was average looking, compared to Robert, it was almost pathetic. She was tempted to sigh in despair over it, given that she had imaged him to be at least handsome, given that Ned was handsome enough looking. Fook you Robert. That kind thought kind of pissed her off, that this man would come over here, to overlook her wedding, to make his younger brother look pathetic to her in comparison to him to her. How dare he? She was outraged at it. How dare he make the man she was suppose to marry look lesser to him? If it weren't for her uncle, she'd shout at him for it, but she doubted he'd care. He was never the considerate kind of man, unlike Ned - she did actually like him, as a person though, despite his affections towards her. In another life, she might have fallen for him, given that personality wise, he was more attractive and alluring to her than Robert had ever been, but alas, in this life - it was simply not meant to be, unfortunately. He was always kind to her as it was, whilst he was staying at the Eyre alongside Robert, that was.

She held her tongue, but the way Jon looked suggested he was angry enough for the two of them, as he dragged Robert away after saying a slight greeting to her Lordly husband. Cersei went inside, ignoring her and not saying a single word to her.

"Hello Lord Stannis. I appreciate what you did, by placing the flag of my house next to your own. I feel quite honoured by the gesture, my Lord." She bowed before him, politely. He didn't smile, but then again, he didn't appear to be the smiling kind, but than again, Jeyne was just a shy, introverted young woman herself. How could she know the mind of a great lord?

"It's my duty as Lord of Storm's End to honour my Lady wife's house as it is, Lady Jeyne." Stannis replied, taking her gently by one of her arms to escort her in. He was so big in comparison to her, that she was in awe; she could also feel the muscle within his arms. It was nice, feeling safe with him. Although, she'd also feel safe... _Foookk you Robert._  She was tempted to throw a hissy fit over this, that Robert would dare do this. There was a reason why she wasn't taking Robert being here very well; because Robert knew it as well as she did, that he could seduce her and take her to bed himself if he so wished. She wasn't a weak woman by any means, but rather she was a normal woman in regards to the sheer glorious manly handsomeness that is Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros. It was so gods damn insulting to her, that he'd dare show his face here, even knowing this fact.

"Your very kind, Lord Stannis. I only wish Robert was as considerate..." Oh, how she wished Robert would've been considerate. More considerate to have just not have arrived here at all. But alas, here he was, being a prick to herself and Jon's wishes.

"I'm sorry, Lady Jeyne. It's not like I wished him here, anymore than you." He responded with annoyance, as they walked into the hall. It also was full of hues of blues and silvers, her house colours, mixed in with the raven-yellow of House Baratheon, and it was truly a breathtaking sight, one to behold. Her eyes widened, looking around at the well-decorated hall. There were Lannister soldiers, intermingled alongside the blue/sliver personal Eyre guards of Jon and herself & Lord Stannis's own finely dressed yellow/raven levies, which tempted a great, deep frown of Jeyne. The Lannister's were supposed to have no presence here, at Storm's End; it wasn't there place. Casterly Rock was, not the Stormlands. There colors were most unwelcome here, in the grand hall of the stags.

"My Lord, if you don't mind me inquiring, but what are those Lannister levies doing here?" Jeyne wondered, mildly. She found the sight of red/gold troops to be a eye souring sight on the entire beautiful ceremony as it was. They'd be married in about four days hence, or so Jon told her, as they found themselves here, with their three guards following from the Vale. They had brought them, mostly for the long, treacherous way down the Eyre's great mount, to prevent themselves from getting murdered by the murderous clansmen that haunted the Vale like a never-ending disease that soiled the fertile grounds of the Vale. But then again, they also brought them because the King's Road wasn't truly safe, for there were still bandits that sniffed out any prey and attacked upon sight. She did not think she - a young woman with minimal hand-to-hand combat would be safe drifting on the dangerous roads of the King's Road - and neither would an old man like Jon, be safe there. A bandit would come across an old man and a girl, more or less, and would think to themselves, easy prey. So it was better to be safe than sorry, in this matter anyhow.

"Cersei Lannister." He also seemed a bit miffed about this little fact too. They weren't supposed to be here. And where were the white coats, the King's Guard more or less, for Robert and Cersei anyhow? She didn't see any in this hall, and none with the Queen nor King upon encountering them at the large entrance.

"This isn't there place. Why allow them in? Doesn't the Queen and King have the King's Guards to protect them?" She tilted her head. Truly, why what in blazes was Robert thinking with this gods forsaken decision? Was he thinking at all when he decided to bring the Lannister's to his former seat?

Stannis didn't respond beyond looking furiously angry at seeing them in his own keep. She knew they had Baratheon troops of yellow/raven at King's Landing too. Was the Lannister influence so bad that they had to bring them with to her own wedding? She was frustrated by this action, as she stormed off inside the building, alongside Stannis, her fiance. It occurred to her that she didn't know him very well - even though he might twice her height. Indeed, most people were taller her, even Ned whom called her as tiny as a button whilst they both young and stupid. Sometimes, he'd give her a boutique, but he wasn't the only one whom gave her flowers - many boys did, from her cousin, Albar Royce, of whom is still currently the heir of Runestone, to some common boys she paid not a single attention too.

She sighed, thinking about her wedding, as he gently escorted her to a seat on the higher platitudes above the rest of the guests. Most castles had such designs in their castles, mostly as a show of brute force to their lower classed peoples, and because it elevated them above them. King Robert took the King's seat, which was the common practice considering he was the King and thus the head of the table at any table was meant for a King - but was usually vacate at the Eyre at least, mostly as a sign of respect for His Majesty. But everyone rather followed their lord in when to sit down than the King himself, considering this was the Lord's court, not the King's. So, when Stannis sat down, he flickered his fingers to let the common folk know when to sit when he did. Jeyne smiled, gently besides him, as a good will towards her future subjects. Indeed, Jeyne wished to be popular with the masses, let them know their future Lady and the mother of their future Lord to come.

"You sure are a tiny one, Jeyne. Your tits are as flat as a piece of board, like how Princess Elia's were." Jeyne stared at him. How dare he bring up Elia Martell at any and all events? She knew of Elia's death. It was horrible, and she was said to have been raped and murdered by that horrible Mountain fella that the Lannister's kept as a pet. A fearful threat, at that.

"I heard Elia was beautiful, before her demise..." She was tempted to say more concerning Princess Elia Martell, but the look on his Lannister's wife face was of pure shook and rage, and so Jeyne decided against it. It would due her no good will to alienate the Queen, and besides, they'd be good-sisters after she married Lord Stannis. So she'd not alienate her, and so she kept her tart tongue closed, for now at least. She'd start taking her gentle lady sliver-wear - a tiny spoon and a tiny medallion fork, before taking scooping some potato soup into her wooden bowl. She'd start taking sips of it, whilst staring at the moods of the people around her - Stannis was eating some chicken broth, his brother was eating a hearty lamb chop, whilst laughing as they played his favorite music sound. She didn't care for it, but at it wasn't the Rains of Castamere that the court folk sung all the time to honor Lord Tywin Lannister as it was.

"Now, we're not to speak of the Princess, not in my hold, and you are most certainly not comparing her to Jeyne Arryn, my fiancee, Robert. That comparison sickens me." Stannis stated matter of factly.

Robert frowned, but shut his mouth, less he sound more of an arsehole than he was being currently, to compare her to a dead rape victim, at that. That monster that killed Elia, he disgusted her; the Princess was an innocent victim of her husband's excesses and was brutally raped by a monster, alongside her two children. She's heard all of the rumors concerning Elia, and she felt uttermost sorrow for the Princess, but not so much for her husband. He was comely enough at Harrenhal, and sang beautifully enough, but she saw the way he looked at that wolf woman Lyanna and felt like vomiting as a result of it. Indeed, it was enough to prevent her from crying at the sounds of his beautiful music, which seemed to offend him somewhat considering everyone else did so, but she was somewhat disgusted by the love-struck looks he gave to Lyanna Stark. He never looked at her once at Harrenhal, which was fine.

When she heard that he ran off with that Wolf girl and everything that happened - like Brandon Stark, Lyanna Stark's brother, and her father dying at the hands of Aerys II.. She felt bad for Lyanna, given how sweet and warm the girl was. So full of life and joy, and for her youth to be taken away from her so early in her life made her feel sorrow for her. However, she hated Rhaegar. For staring all of this. He did, if did indeed kidnap Lyanna - than, her abduction by the Prince was the match to the entire Rebellion whilst Aerys was literally the flames that brought about the war that overthrew the incestuous Dragon Lords off the Iron Throne and into exile, where they'd likely be of no harm to anyone considering they were just a boy and a infant amongst other thing. He may have had goods things said about him, but they were bias, by people that didn't see him for what he was, all they saw was a dutiful, pretty prince that could do no wrong, no wrong at all, because they were brother-fucker supporters no doubt.

___________

The ceremony & the bedding,

Stannis believed Jeyne Arryn to be an cute beauty, nothing too extravagant or voracious about her, beyond maybe her waist. That was the largest area on her petite body, and even that he felt as though he could wrap his whole hand around. Her eyes were a beautiful blue-color, like the sky, and he liked staring into them, for he felt as though he could swim in them, for how lovely they were to look at. Her lips were small, dainty things, but her smile was nice to look at nevertheless. She did smile, although it was often strained and nervous to look at, given that they were surrounded by bawdy bannermen that noted on her looks and shape of body with large smiles ; His brother, the King, got hefty drunk and prepared himself for the bedding that would never occur, so nicely, which he joined with them with lustful and inappropriate comments about Jeyne's body all the whilst he boomed with laughter, even as Jeyne looked the most uncomfortable over the remarks the King said in regards to her. Lady Lannister decided to not join them, in preference for staying in her chambers during the entire event. He didn't blame her one bit, considering Robert's behavior during the event had not been proper of a King of his status. It was quite horrible, to make sex jokes about his own brother's future wife, and on her own wedding day nevertheless.  Now, the Marcher banner-men could get away with the baldy jokes about their future lady and such, but Robert, he should've known better considering his position above the rest of them.

Jeyne was good with the Marcher lords he had invited to the event, teasing them with a joking smile upon her oval-shaped face. She would make a good lady to him, considering her gentle temperament and dutiful nature that all Arryns seem to have naturally. Her eyes were twinkling and full of fire, as she danced with his lords and Knights with a sort of grace about her as she did so. She was a good, lovely dancer and everyone wanted to dance with her, given how good she was at it. Stannis danced with her too, and she was smiling when he did so, with sort of mischievous sort of one, a trouble-some smile - or was she flirting with him? It was terribly hard to tell; he had never been good with woman.

Than, came the bedding.

Jon Arryn put a quick stop to that, and allowed Jeyne to go their quarters relatively unscathed, besides for her hair now being down from out of it's bun due to someone snatching her blue pin out of it. He'd find whomever took her pin out later.

Her hair was a soft dirt blonde, and he could see the brown within it. Her hair also extended gently to her shoulders, but it made her oval shape face rounder to have her slightly curly hair round her already round face. He also could see she had some faint freckles loosening her gentle cheeks, and that she had Jon's famous hooked nose upon her face. It only added to her natural look of polishness that she possessed. 

He'd also push her onto the bed, staring at her tiny pink nipples. Her eyes were wide, and somewhat fearful, no doubt because Jeyne was still a maiden, as Jon told him. But her nervousness made her somewhat alluring, if not in a docile sort of way. 

"Are you happy with me, my Lord." She asked, gently probing at him, as she sat there nude on the bed. He kissed her, as a response, and she tasted like fresh apple pie. He could feel her shivering, given that it was cold. and gently stop kissing her, before fondling with her breasts. They weren't very impressive., but they'd soon be full and pulp of milk for a newborn child she'd be having soon enough anyhow. He could hear his bannermen laughing outside of his door upon hearing that from Jeyne, although she didn't seem to care, as she shivered. Stannis put a blanket on top of her, to prevent her from shivering anymore. She gave him a semi-relieved smile, which made her look pretty. If she wasn't smiling, she looked like a completely average woman, with nothing particularly special about her. She wasn't as nearly as beautiful as her good sister, Cersei, but that didn't disappoint him especially.  

"Does your family have any problems with births?" He wondered.

"No, my lord, my mother gave birth to two healthy children. Jon's mother, my grandmother, had thrice healthy children for her Arryn husband." She responded, ever so gently. He could tell she was nervous. He should just get on with it, truth to be told. Jon told him that she was a maiden, and he believed her. She seemed like the most coyish, honest woman and would've told him if she had lost her maidenhood. 

He took her, thrice, and felt the blood of her maidenhood upon his cock which satisfied him. It looked like it hurt her, given how she went stiff when he entered her. He had never intended to hurt her, as he gently rubbed her face, staring at her. Her eyes widened, before nodding once more. That was a hopeful sign, at the very least.

"It's alright my lord, my own lady mother told me that her first losin' of her own maidenhood was just as painful as mine." She laughed somewhat bitterly at the sentiment, which didn't make it much better to him, considering he'd been bedding her for the next fortnight until he was sure she was with child. She'd no doubt have to deal with it, and as would he. At least she was easy to bed, given how open she had been to him, upon seeing him naked. It was presumably the first time she'd seen a man naked given how her eyes enlarged upon seeing the entirety of him.

"Pain is what makes us stronger, Jeyne Arryn." He'd say matter of factly, staring into those gentle blue-colored eyes of hers. That was the truth of it. She'd have the pains of childrearing soon, and thus, that would make her grow as a person, he'd assume. He had his own pains from the siege, with his own men, with his brother Robert - now it was time for her to see what pain felt like, to develop own her character, given how shy and dutiful she seemed to appear to him. Being a mother would be good for her, and good for him, likely.


	4. Stannis II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stannis deals with Ser Ronnet Connington, the Knight of Griffin's Roost.

In the first two weeks of their marriage, he did nothing but stay with her each night whilst doing his own paperwork for his position and such. There had been nothing but duty in mind as he did it with her, until she managed to get pregnant with a babe of his; she was getting more comfortable with him in her, at least, that was progress, instead of the squirming she did during their first night. As for his position upon Robert's small Council; it was tiresome work, but his marriage to Jon's niece had it's benefits with the hand, as the two worked tirelessly to insure the Kingdom wasn't falling into mayhem together as Robert whored and drunk, clearly still mourning for that woman Lyanna. His wife had given birth to a boy with golden-hair of whom she named Joffrey after one of the Lion Kings of old. Robert had gotten another whore pregnant within King's Landing. Business as usual happened in King's Landing, but here in the Stormlands, he and Jeyne visited each province within the region.

Jeyne was a good and gracious lady, generous and kindly, and the common folk adored her as they throw roses at her path whenever she came near one of their farming villages, nearby Storm's End or by one of the other castles of one of the other Marcher Lords, like Griffin's Roost, she was welcome wherever she went. He was happy and honoured that he was blessed with such a woman, one that everyone adored in the Stormlands. He himself, nobody was blessing their feet around him, but neither were they cursing at him, but the other Marcher Lords had given him ideas on how to make the small folk happy. They'd need some more charter towns and rights, which he was going suggest to Jon Arryn when he went to King's Landing and had a chat with Jon Arryn on how to proceed on these matters relating to his people. 

"Are you pregnant Jeyne?" He asked her, as they went travelling to Red Ronnet's beautiful lands. He loved Griffin's Roast - it was both beautiful to look at, with it being the most fertile region in the Marches, with it's grounds being filled to the brim with red rose bushes and apple-trees that grew wild and plentiful here, and not, but anyhow the castle of Red Ronnet; it sat on a very highly defensible position and would be very hard to attack, which Stannis admired. It was large, but sturdy, with a metal drawbridge on two sides, as it sat on it's private rock island off to the coast and was surrounded on all sides by a natural moat of sorts. He had looked at how far the ledge went to the waterfall, and it had a sharp enough edge that it would kill a man if they were unwise enough to fall of it the battlement of the castle.

"I do believe so, by about a month or so, my lord." She responded, staring at one of the workers with a lovely looking smile an a gentle wave. The worker didn't smile back nor wave at her, but they acknowledged her with a bow of the head. That was something, at least.

When they arrived at Red Ronnets castle, the interior was just as practical as the exterior of it. The castle was orderly fashioned, and it had at least two large trebuchets on it's battlements; there were four rampart towers with three men filling in each segment. There were several guards that took daily walks on the ramparts, and they each carried two-handed weapons; for efficiency. Two handed weapons were more effective in killing men than the shield-and-sword kind of soldier, even though he was guilty of appreciating and using the later weaponry though. The men were also all dressed in red-and-white chainmail armour, all perfectly neat and tidy and in formation. Stannis liked this, it said a great deal about the owner of this castle that he'd keep it well-maintained like this. He himself did so, in Storm's End, although he'd have put archers and rock-throwing men in the ramparts though, to let loose and shoot arrows through the large gaped holes of the ramparts though at their foes. He thought he'd be okay anywhere in the Stormlands various castles if he were to be in a siege, given how all the castles were well-manned and executed, besides for Emma Morrigen's castle although. The young Lady of Crow's Nest was in dear need of a good regent to mane her walls for herself, whilst she herself grows up, considering she was only a five year old child at that. Her father, he'd have died during Robert's Rebellion in the Riverlands, where he was slaughtered by Ser Lewyn Martell before the King's Guard himself was slayed upon the battlefield himself by the ax of Ned Stark and his own gang of Northern men.

It was quite unfortunate that this little Knight's family was on the wrong side of the conflict, and thus their lands that were begotten by that traitorous Jon Connington's father had to disputed by the remaining Marchers lords that remained loyal to the Baratheons, and by extension himself, in this matter. He choice that Lady Morrigen, the loyalist faction, and the one with the current land dispute with the Conningtons, would get most of their lands. He also gave some of those at Stonehelm, because they also bled for the loyalist faction as well. Now, this Knight was just an unjumped landed Knight, with a castle only, and besides, he was the most becoming towards him, unlike Jon Connington, the traitor that had drunken himself to death in Lys, no doubt dying mourning Rhaegar Targaryen, the one that the Griffin Lord was reportedly fond of. That Dragon Prince was dead though, and he himself saw Jon Arryn burning the body of the former jeweled Prince. Indeed, he even removed the Prince's raven helm when he did it, to make sure it was truly him. And it was, he had long silver-gold hair tied in a ponytail and his face looked as purple in the face as they could get, indeed. He was as handsome as they said he was, but he was dead, and nothing the common folk said about him taking back his father's throne would make a difference, for he was as dead as a dead dog, for all he cared anyhow.

But anyhow, he was here to discuss his castle and remaining levies with the Knight, of which he'd propose one of his own brothers be a consort to Lady Emma, to insure that they'd be no remaining conflict between the two Houses; and besides, it was a good match. Lady Emma would get all the support she'd needed to keep her newly attended lands and the support of the Conningtons, the former landholders of said lands, as it was. But then again, the little lady Emma did have a male cousin about her own age that still retained the Morrigen name that could potentially marry her, to preserve her own family name, but he supposed that if she was to take the Connington former lands, than she'd need their support in doing so to keep the small folk in check as It was. The land dispute in question was rather tiny affair in his opinion, but he wished to address it though, considering this was his realm.

They walked inside of the keep, where he and his wife were offered tea and some tiny sandwiches upon a plate by Connington's sister, Alynne. She had long ginger-colored hair that she kept in a braid; wore a simple red-and white modest dress, with a red-colored petticoat extending gently past her shoulders, and her skirt was long and full. She had a oval-shaped face, but she was nothing attractive to look at. Her oval shaped face was also full of freckles and she appeared to be about ten-and-two years of age.

"Thank you and sincerely, thank you for the food, I've been having lots of cravings as of late." His wife said, as she took the offer of bread and cucumbers on the platter with delight in her blue colored eyes. She was hungry no doubt due to cravings; she'd been having lots of them lately.

He himself though, he awaited Ser Ronnet's presence as he overlooked his troops. They were all neatly dressed, and seemed well-feasted, considering the fact that the other lords had just starved them out until they surrounded, but not until the Castilian of Griffins Roast died in the name of the farce King Aerys II, the abomination King, the scab King for all that it was worth. Now, young Ronnet was ruling over Griffin's Roast after his father died of starvation within these very walls, without surrounding an inch of the castle. He found that feet admirable of the past castellan, to never give up the castle, not over his dead bones that was. But, when they were riding here, it was no wonder much of the vast fertile countryside had been sacked and burnt down by invading forces that he had sent from Lord Swann and the remaining loyalist forces left in the Stormlands to attack Jon Connington's lands and by extension, his own castle's food supplies to insure that no loyalist forces could help them. Stannis admired the way the Castilian died though, in the name of his supposed King and in his own castle that he swore to protect at that. When he had discovered how the old man had died in such a valiant way, and during a siege nevertheless, he felt that Connington at least deserved some credit for how he died in service to his King... That was a noble sacrifice, to Stannis at least.

But besides, he saw the looks on some of the man's faces. They also had lost loves ones - and likely, some of them were cannibals, given that it had taken about a year for Griffin Roast to be completely surrounded and forced to do the very same thing he did, and besides, they were about close to doing the very same in their own siege done by the Tyrells on Storm's End.

Than, Ser Ronnet came out of his hold to greet them personally in his gravel-covered courtyard, where his was currently stuffing her face full of those tiny sandwitches she was offered. He was dressed in a simple red-and-white colored suit of armor, much like his troops of whom stopped in formation to greet their liege lord; he looked tired, with deep markings under his blue eyes. His red bread was recently shaven, and his hair was recently cut and washed. The air around him was that of a exhausted Lord, but at least he looked well-fed, given that he had ordered one of his other people to give them their remaining, but somewhat limited, food supply to the Conningtons to insure that they didn't die; and besides, those other lords lands weren't sacked and burned like the Conningtons were, so they could rebuild their food supply as it was from their farm lands surrounding their castle.

"Hello my lord, I apologize for being tired, I just need to rebuild my farmlands once again. The people you sent during the siege, they killed our farmers and took hold of their farm houses. I've been forced on this very limited supply line in the aftermath of it, and not to mention, I had to bury my father in the grounds of our Gods Wood as it was, at the same time as having to worry about our supply lines your Lordship has generously offered us to replenish our limited food supply." He sounded awfully tired. Stannis could hear it in his voice and in own body language at that. His shoulders were sloping, as if he were struggling to stay awake or something.

"I do not blame you, but you gave me no choice in the matter of besieging your fort. Considering your own Liege lord Jon Connington and your father, the Castilian here at the time, were loyalists to the Dragons of whom were off burning people left and right. You know, I was in an siege myself for an entire year too, during about the same time as Lord Richard Swann sent some of his remaining forces to besiege you here, as I ordered him too from within the walls of the currently besieged Storm's End, even though communications were a rather rough affair given that the Tyrell's could've intercepted any of my letters to him. But regardless, you do not see me grovelling in my tiredness, now do you, Ser Ronnet?" He knew he sounded harsh, given how the man just lost someone he cared for deeply, but he decided he'd have no mercy for those that grovelled at the hands of those burning abominations known as the Targaryens; they even burned his own lady wife's brother, and several other dozen Northern Lords . At one point during the war, he had been conflicted whenever he should rebel for his brother against the rightful King Aerys II, his king at the time, he'd know, but his loyalty of his brother and the actions of those on top, made him support Robert and send the Marcher army to the Riverlands alongside him like a good brother would do.

"No, my Lord." He sighed, brushing back his ginger-hair. "You did what you had to do, like my cousin and my father choice too." He shrugged. "You know, we were very close to cannibalism my lord, but my father choice to die on his own will, not being accursed by the Gods by the sin of eating another man's flesh. It was a blessing that you broke the siege, before we had to resort to that measure." He muttered, staring him right in the eyes. He felt a sudden urge of respect for the man; he seemed determined, and had survived a siege much like he had done. They also, had been down to rats and many of his own men had died of starvation, even though he had shared everything they had out of their kitchens to make sure that everyone had survived. But not everyone had, and besides, he remembered having to force down the smallest rat down his brother's unwilling throat, as he refused to eat it. He wondered if he had to do something similar to insure the survival of his little sister, of whom looked a bit on the skinny end of things, and his own youngest brother.

So thus, they begun speaking about other topics,  but not before he said, somewhat reluctantly, that he respected the man's sacrifice in the name of duty and honor. It was something every man should do. The Lord seemed a bit shy about the compliment that he had rewarded the man, but he took it nevertheless. They talked over a nice bowl of freshly grained tea, and a view of the sea before them. Ser Ronnet seemed reasonable to the request that he give Raymond, his seven year old brother, up to Lady Emma as a consort to support her reign over their former lands, although he seemed a bit offended at the request at first which was reasonable, considering they had a former land dispute anyhow. He also told Ronnet to get married, to Alysanne of Tarth, the Evenstar's first born daughter, born from the breasts of a Glover woman the man had married and produced children with, of whom included his son Galladon Tarth, a young blonde-haired boy that Stannis was going to foster one of these days in Storm's End, considering Lord Tarth's loyalty to the Baratheon cause during Robert's Rebellion. The Knight seemed amiable to the idea, despite the girl's youth, and the fact that he considered House Tarth to be an invaluable alliance due the House's location on an island plentiful both in of gold and food, both things the earnest Knight desperately needed right now. 

Besides, the marriage would unite the Stormlands under his rule, which was his intent to begin with.

"I will accept your suggestion on whom I should marry, my lord." He gave a small smile. "Even though Alysanne is a very young child at the moment..." He said softly. He was about twenty years old, and was a healthy, hearty man, even if he was a bit on the skinny side after nearly starving to death like his father did before him, most ironically. He also had a bit of a frugal smile. Stannis did not expect he'd end up having respect for the man, but he did. Duty was a very important thing to Stannis, and what his family scarified was in the name of honour and duty to their rightful King and there was no higher one of achievement than doing that. Not to mention, the Knight was a preserving survivor, worthy of the respect that Stannis was giving him at this very moment.

"She's a healthy, hearty girl of ten whilst her brother is ten-and-two years of age, and besides, she's from a good family and has a decent linage. You couldn't do much better than that, Ser. But regardless of my opinion of what you should, I'm not one to force you to do marry the girl, if you do not wish too." He stated matter of factly. Although, he wouldn't force a marriage on the Knight, for that was not his way, he just wished to see the Conningtons regain some semblance of their family legacy back from the threshold of nearly losing all of their repute and land during the course of the war. He supposed making good with a loyalist Baratheon house might perhaps save them, and they might regain some land that they had lost, and become more than Landed Knights as they were currently, but Stannis didn't know. Maybe, maybe not, whom knows? He supposed. Anything could happen. 

The Ser in question laughed at that statement. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for the Griffin Knight to regain the lands his House had lost in the war previously. As for his wife, she was off sitting on the side lines, with a cup of water in her hands, as she talked to Alynne with a hint of playfulness in her voice. Stannis would think that she'd make a good mother, when his son came into this world. He fullily expected that the babe growing within her womb was a boy - if it was a girl he'd be disappointed to say in the least; he wanted a son to fulfil his  own role as Lord of Storm's End when he died someday and not one of Robert's brood from Cersei to take it from him, if Jeyne provided to be infertile; he also wanted someone to take his father's name with him to the next generation, because it would be highly unlikely that would be the case if this was a girl, he understood, because they'd likely be married off to some other high lord. But then again, he could always have another child in the case the one that Jeyne was carrying was a girl. 

And so they left the region, but not after he was done helping Connington with his land problems and what not. He was a good man, not a bad one, and certantly, the two fought against a foe that suffered similarly to what he did during his own siege, thus making him very sympathetic to it his plight for help and assistance as it was. He'd help him with his goals for healing his lands, which would make Stannis feel as though he started an unlikely friendship with the Ser at the end, despite his own reluctance at first..


	5. THE BIRTH OF THE HEIR (b 287 AC)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeyne gives birth. Cersei Lannister discovers the birth of Stannis's heir birth and freaks out with her twin brother, where she comes to a conclusion on what she must do.

Jeyne had her baby today, bright and early, and at the start of the new year, 287 AC, at that. It was a wriggling baby boy that came from her womb, and Stannis was there for it, and he was holding her hand as she gave life to her first babe. He was so beautiful, with her bright blue eyes and raven-coloring, Jeyne just had to smile in pure joy upon seeing him, happy, and healthy, but most of all, alive. She held onto him, as he yowled his lungs at them for the first time ever. The midwife, a small staunch woman donned in the heavy wearings of a Septa, had washed the babe off with a wet cloth, and swaddled the youngster in a clean blanket yellow and black blanket, so that she might hold him, to see him. He was so handsome, Jeyne felt her heart jump right out of her chest upon seeing him. He was so warm, and so her's, and besides, he had her nose, her precious nose on his little face.

"Davos. His name is Davos." Her husband said. "Named after my Onion Knight, and besides, I like the sounds of Lord Davos Baratheon of Storm's End." He was smiling, and he never usually smiled. Jeyne was happily coddling her baby boy, as she stared into those blue eyes of his that reminded her so much of her Lord husband's and her own. His eyes were open, and he staring curiously at everyone. Jeyne patted her newborns raven locks, and continued hugging him. She'd forever protect her little Dragon Hunter, even in death. She loved her little boy immediately, even though he cracked a bunch of her ribs during pregnancy and forced her to be bedridden throughout most of the pregnancy, he was still the first child she had ever given birth to, and she found him to be so handsome, even though he had a thin line of baby hair on the top of his cone shaped little head.

"My little Davos, I hope you are a woe to all of those dishonorable Dragons out there, just like how Davos the Dragon-Slayer was." Jeyne smiled at him, genuinely full of affection for the boy, as she cuddled with her warm and soft boy. He'd no doubt need a breast-mother, given that she didn't want to ruin her figure, and besides, she was still fertile; her mother's milk was . He gurgled at her, and smiled his babish smile at her, before the little boy's father held his little bottom in his rather large hands, as he sat swaddled in a sheet of raven/golden colour material. The baby smiled at the contact between his father, giggling besides himself as someone, her midwife no doubt, had brought out a satin diaper for the little lordling to wear, so that his business doesn't ruin the soft myrish fabric that he was currently swaddled in.

The boy grabbed Stannis's finger as his father beheld him and gave him a rather large smile. Stannis smiled back at the boy, and Jeyne supposed this moment was about the only time when her Lordly husband was smiling with genuinely mirth around him, as he stared at his newborn son and heir. He looked pleased, staring down at the infant boy, that was his and hers own little creation, before he giving him back to her, but not after he kissed her gently on the cheek for it too. She appreciated the effort, given how she spent nearly twelve hours in labor before giving birth to him. Which by the way, was the most painful experience in her life, she had never felt anything more painful, and the maester tried to stop it from being so, but she apparently lost a great sum of blood giving life to him, even with the help of milk and poppy to comfort her labor pains. Her husband had seen the birth, all the way through, even though she slept for most of the farce labor, and woke up to the pains of the actual labor beginning. He had also fallen asleep on the chair next to her, but she woke him up with a nudge and a large smile on her face, to let him know that she was ready to give life to his child.

After the boy's birth, Stannis went back to King's Landing to deal with the Hand and the King once more, but not before bedding her in celebration for the healthy baby and his heir's birth. Jeyne stood-fast over her baby, all the same, playing with him, and tickling him whenever the babe needed it. She also changed diapers despite her ladies objections, and cleaned him when they were finished making mud castles in the God's Wood. She often brought him on treks around the God's Wood in her own gentle arms, which was a vibrant place indeed, full of the sounds of woodpeckers pecking away their nests under one of the vast evergreen trees, and singing love birds chirping away in the forest of evergreen trees above their heads. He was interested in those sounds, considering how his raven-colored little head went up whenever he heard them. Jeyne also showed him his reflection in the gentle, clear pond surrounding the gentle white-barked heart-tree with it's grumpy face it possessed. Honestly, it looked to her that It didn't care for outsiders, but nor would it shy away from them either, all things considering. Sometimes, she'd have picnics out here in the fresh sunlight with her baby, whilst the Lord Regent looked after the Stormlands whilst her Lord Husband was absent in King's Landing, as a part of his Small Council doings. He left her here in Storm's End, namely to recover from the trauma of childbirth and to leave her in relative peace, which she was enjoying by sitting on a soft quilted blanket, overlooking the soft blue sky, with some of her ladies and her little boy. Her ladies were offering her some spring water out of a glass bottle, and some freshly baked bread and brie cheese from a goat that they had milked recently and curdled into the creamy cheese for her benefit. But when she was pregnant, she couldn't eat the cheese, given that it might have some nasty things in it that could've killed her babe, something she didn't want to happen. Indeed, she kept away from everything that could've killed him during her pregnancy.

"Davos, my sweet little boy, your going to rule this castle and all of the Stormlands someday, my little baby boy. But always remember to be my good, sweet handsome little boy. " She stared into his bright blue eyes, as she pitched his delicate little nose, which made him laugh besides himself, as they sat cuddling on the soft raven-colored blanket, him in her arms, as she watched the white, snowy clouds go on above her head. Indeed, she was counting the clouds overhead and she also saw many clouds of many shapes and sizes. So far, she had seen a cloud of what appeared to be someone bending their knees before another wearing a fluffy crown on their heads. She wondered what exactly she was suppose to make of that symbolism up in the clouds - what it suppose to mean, or did it even mean anything? She herself personally doubted it meant anything, given that Robert was King, and she didn't suppose that would change soon, unless somehow that Targaryen child-boy in the Free Cities somehow managed to amass such a army, that he could overthrow Robert from his current position on the Iron Throne, but she supposed that kind of thinking was illogical and highly unlikely to happen. Actually, she hoped the Targaryen children were caught and killed in Essos, so that their own claim to the Throne wouldn't hurt her own children in the future, for she naturally amused that they'd hold a grudge against her Lordly husband's family for what they did in taking 'their' kingdoms away from the grasping, little fingers of their insane father.

He gurgled, as he continued laying with her in that extremely handsome outfit she had picked out for him; it was one of Lord Renly's old babe clothes, but she wouldn't tell the little Lord of Dragonstone this, when he came a visiting here to Storm's End when he did somewhat often; but she did find it to be a nice-looking boy outfit, and besides, it fit him very well. It was a soft raven-yellow coat, with little well-worn Myrish styled slippers, with a tiny golden buckle on the gentle raven-colored shoe. It was so cute, but Jeyne added a tiny cream/blue colored sasha attached gently to one of the boy's pockets. She wanted him to know he was as much a part of the vale as he was, and she was sure that her husband wouldn't mind it one bit, considering he wore a combined House sigil of House Baratheons crowned Stag and her own house Sigil of the preying bird of House Arryn, on his own petticoat for everyone to see. It made Cersei furious that Stannis, her good brother, would honor his wife's house, but Robert wouldn't do her own - Jeyne got a good laugh out of that when she heard that piece of tidbit from out of the capital.

Cersei Lannister,

"So, she had given birth a son. A robust, raven-haired son." Cersei was infuriated by this news, that the cute Arryn girl would produce one for that dour Stannis of all things. Besides, during the girl's own wedding in Storm's End she had been with Jaime. It was so much better than watching Robert drunkily grope her, which he undoubtfully did considering it was Robert of all people. But, she did have fun envisioning it whilst she was having sex with Jaime, considering Jeyne Arryn, the eh looking girl, was her enemy now. She was the one that could destroy her, and everything that Cersei held dear. She was the girl that Maggy the Frog spoke of, when she said a Younger and more beautiful Queen would come & take everything she, Cersei held dear. She was right, the girl was younger than her, by nearly two years actually, and some of the ignorant amongst the masses might say she was more beautiful than Cersei.

"Dearie, I swear that she wouldn't hurt you." Her twin said, as he snuggled with her.

"Her son might." Cersei responded, "He might hurt my precious Joffrey, he might hurt me and you, take everything that I love and care about away from me. My crown, my future.. Everything, and all because she bloody produced a boy." She felt fury at that, that he might be the one to overthrow her beloved Joffrey in the future. To be the one to put him in one of those golden-colored body bags, saved for the dead. Like what Maggy the Frog said, that her three children would be killed and each placed in golden bags. Cersei could not allow that future to happen no matter what. She grabbed him, pinning him to the pillow, as Robert the drunkard slept besides her on the same satin sheets, completely unaware of what was happening between the two on the other side of each other. He was a dullard and a rotting drunkard full of head for another woman, a dead woman, for that matter, Cersei knew it to be true, that he was a dull, stupid drunkard with nothing in his heart besides for Lyanna, Lyanna, that she-bitch that he cared so much for that he mistook her for that Wolf-girl during their bedding - she was glad that Lyanna Stark was dead and rotting in the ground, for all that she cared about her. She actually wished that she piss on the girl's grave, just to spite him, for she was his wife, not that wolf-she bitch that he so yearned for in preference for she.

"I'll swear, I'll protect you against that." He kissed her neck, and she felt so right, to be with him, the one that got her wet at night, not the one that dishonoured her... because of Lyanna, and because of girls like Jeyne, the kind, dutiful, passive kinds. She hated Jeyne Arryn. "I'll kill himself myself If he tries." She had no doubt that her knight would do anything to protect their boy, Joffrey, if that insolent whelp of Jeyne Arryn's tried anything against him. Indeed, he was going to be King, whilst Jeyne's boy was just a servant, an underthing under Joffrey's virtuous reign over the entire Seven Kingdoms, whilst her little boy would rule a vast nothingness over the poor Stormlands. It was such a shitty piece of land amongst the Seven Kingdoms, that he was truly no threat to her or her child's heirship or current state of legitimacy, despite their close proximity to them in King's Landing, she wasn't worried a single bit. Not know, not whilst they were still itty bitty little babe suckling on the breast of their milk mothers - although, he did threaten him still, and just thinking about it made her hate this little Davos creature, as his parents called him after that lowborn smuggler of whom saved Stannis's life during the siege of Storm's End by the Tyrells. She also believed that Stannis lacking in the usual courtesy one would have at saving another's life when one was close to starving, cut off his fingers. She wondered why the boy was named that, of all the names they could've given him.

Cersei smiled, a vicious smile, before whispering. "I'd like his mother's head bronzed too..." Jeyne Arryn was a passive little girl, so naïve to the Game of Thrones and yet so involved in the game as it was even without even knowing it. Personally, Cersei disliked that nativity of hers, considering it was the kid of innocent naivety that everyone seemed to love about the girl, including Stannis of whom sent her messages daily to Storm's End in regards about his son's and wife's personal health & safety like a bloody mother hen or something. He liked her, he could see it in those montone blue eyes, whenever he spoke about her. But, killing Jeyne would be dangerous regardless, considering Jeyne was the Hand's most beloved niece - in fact, that actually made her extremely dangerous, more dangerous than Cersei had thought previously about her. Her family already had a measure of influence over Robert's foolhardy actions and thus over the court of King's Landing itself. It was a very dangerous line to cross.

"That can be arranged Cersei, anything can be arranged for you."

She smiled a rather devious one, before he entered her. She could feel him spilling his seed within her, as he thrusted into her half a dozen times, with such strength and endurance, that Cersei felt herself warming against the embrace of his cock entering her. But she felt so deeply satisfied by him, that she couldn't breath; and besides, she was making sure not to be too loud in her pleasure less they awake Robert from his drunken slumber. She'd need to produce at least one child of Robert's, at least. She had too, she saw that she had no other choice in the matter of child-birthing - and it was in order to avoid suspicion of the nature of her incestuous relationship with Jaime, at the very least. Though the thought of having a raven-haired for him utterly disgusted Cersei, given that she had cleansed herself of his taint before, she saw no other path In her future beyond having at least one trueborn for Robert.

He kissed her neck, and it was a harsh, bitter kiss. But at least he was still her beloved knight. He got off of her, but not before he kissed her deeply, and full of compassion. He had no hairs on his chins, and he was so handsome to Cersei, but not as handsome as Rhaegar Targaryen. She hated Robert for murdering him on the Trident, and she always would, but her brother's strong arms and gentle, but loyal heart would have to do in the place of any real love. She did love Jaime though, truly, like another part of her being, like he was the second half of her that always thought what she thought, did what she wanted... no, Jaime's, her twin brother, is her second half, her second soul, and yet they were trapped in two separate bodies. Honestly, she felt so lost when he wasn't within her loins and producing his semen into her eggs to produce her offspring; and not to mention, no man would ever replace him in feeling truly alive during sex like Jaime, her twin brother, would or could for that matter.

He eventually let her go, and left to go clear his white uniform of the stain of white sticky substance that was dripping off of her own legs. No doubt, his white-cloak would smell like dog shite for sometime, but she supposed it was worth it. Robert mumbled and turned around, still happily naïve in his sleep. She wished that she could just strangle with a pillow, he disgusted her so. But something simply weren't meant to be, but she rather enjoyed dreaming the various ways that the drunken fool known as Robert Baratheon could meet his end. By Jaime's own sword, like Aerys II, and she could see the horror in those blue eyes of his as he realized he was being betrayed, or by a pack of stray dogs that could tear him from limb to limb as Cersei watched the scene from a safe distance, and reminded him of Lyanna. Lyanna, that insufferable cunt that he so dearly wanted. She was dead, like he was going to be due to those pack animals bleeding him dry as they tore off his arms and legs in a rather grotesque fashion as he screamed for help that would never come, like his Lyanna would never come, nobody would save him from his fate of course, and not to mention, he'd had no weapons, including his famous hammer or anything of the sort to be used defend himself with, just the use of his meaty fists that he uses to hit her when she's disobedient to his wishes or what-not. The best part was of course, that she wouldn't do anything to save him from that fate that had befell him. She'd simply enjoy the show that was before him, with a bottle of whiskey in hand as a sort of celebrity drink to her victory, to knowing that he was dead.

She smiled. She liked the thought of Jeyne's blonde head on her mantel, as a warning to all those that would oppose her wroth in the future, alongside the raven-colored head of Robert the Drunk, Robert the Fool, the Dullard, of which she'd also liked bronzed, and would join Jeyne's own bronzed head, to appease her fantasies and dreams, so that no enemy can hurt or attack her or her children in the future, no drunken, horrible husbands like Robert, just Cersei and Jaime, the two souls in one body, forever together in an eternal blissfulness that no man could deny. Actually, Cersei had an idea for what Robert's placate would say when she had his head bronzed one day, and it would read, _Lyanna's bitch_. That would make Cersei happy, beyond anything else.


	6. Jeyne II and a guest speaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sympathetic Joffrey tells you all about his envy of Lord Davos, and Jeyne recalls the many years since their marriage. 
> 
>  
> 
> ye I felt kind of bad for Joffrey (surprised?) in the books. I mean Robert kind of ignored him and hated him. I don't like his actions, but I feel so bad for him. In this, he's so unimaginable jealous of his 'cousin', that he acts out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucked timelines (harrenhal was the start of the rebellion... So I

Ten years into the future,  
  
Jeyne had given birth twice in the years since; the next born from her womb had been a boy named Steffon, of her Lord husband had named after his own Lord father. After the birth of Steffon, she believed her Lord Husband had started falling in love with her, given that he always bedded her when he came home to Storm's End from his duties on the small council, so much so that they begun sharing quarters. The next birth had been little Jocelyn, just a short year after Steffon's birth, with her thick locks of raven-hair and bright blue eyes, and her wild, strong spirit that remind her so very much of Lyanna Stark when she still lived that was. Or so she thought so, given how she loved sword-fighting and loved playing rough and tumble games with her older brothers despite her femininity and the fact she was three year younger than her eldest brother as it was. Jeyne figured she'd need to make a proper lady out of Jocelyn, but she found her fierce spirit to be vibrant and invigorating, as well as making her interesting.  
  
Davos loved the art of sword's play and was quite the little talent with the art, despite him only being a ten years of age. His brother Steffon was a consummated studier of maps and of the histories of the Seven Kingdoms, but he was quite taken with the idea of Knighthood, and thus the two boys often times spared to get better at sword's play and what not. Davos was the far better swordsman than Steffon was, but regardless he always played fair with his brother. As for her daughter, she loved and admired Davos, her eldest brother, of whom she followed around everywhere. It was quite a cute relationship, and the two got along the best from amongst the three siblings, with Davos being highly protective of Jocelyn. Indeed, that sort of relationship is what caused a rift between Davos and Prince Joffrey, of whom was interested in marrying Jocelyn someday, despite an objection from Davos. Sometimes she wondered if Robert would force Stannis to remove the marriage agreement between their two houses in preference for having her sweet, headstrong daughter be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, but it never came to pass, despite both the efforts of the Queen Consort and the Crown Prince.  
  
"I love you, Jenny." Her husband said, as they sat on the edge of their bed, as her  own feet dangled off of the side of their marriage bed. She stared at him, before giving him a look of playfulness. Of course he loved her, less she'd be sleeping in her own tattered bed, and he wouldn't be doing her mid-day, with the sun in the sky slowly dipping on the two of them as the two of them sat or laid upon the soft raven-gold colored Myrish cloth. But besides, that, she was naked. Ever since she'd given birth, she'd gain a lot of weight from it, but not enough to affect her figure in the long-run. Her breasts were much larger than she had started giving life to children though, even though the only babe she'd even attempted to breastfeed would have been Davos. But than again, she was in love with him, and she was full of a mother's milk, so she must've experimented at least once or twice with him, given that he was her first babe. Her golden angel, all wrapped in gold/sliver wrapping, just like Jocelyn and Steffon, but he was her first little angel though.  
  
"I love you too Stannis, but you need to go back to King's Landing to deal with stupid Balon's Rebellion, and besides, I'll be fine here. " She winked at him. "I'll watch over lil space over the Kingdom whilst you play the hero that ended the farce rebellion over on the Iron Isles." She was going to tell Davos and his siblings that their father went away with his levies to stop a farce supposed King's rebellion on the true King's behalf. She was also sure that Davos would like to hear the full tale of his father's deeds when he came back though. But when he came back, she fully expected that the two would spend a night with a bottle of fresh champagne brought from the Eyre, celebrating his deeds. She knew he'd like that, someone to appreciate his deeds when nobody, aka Robert, didn't even thank his brother for his assistance nor help. He might thank Ned though. As for Ned, she hadn't seen him, for so many years now, that she didn't know how he felt about her now. Did he hate her? It seemed highly unlikely that he would. She wondered if he still held a torch for her, even after all of these years, of him being married to another woman and producing children of his own, of which included Robb, her little daughter's fiancee, it was a marriage set into stone by Robert actually, and she wasn't one to object. He also promised his raven-haired daughter, Myrcella, to Davos, and Steffon to Sansa Stark. Indeed, the King had been busy with marriage proposals - but he had yet to promise any of his two golden-haired sons, even though the Tyrells wanted on the action by offering their sweet daughter Margery up to the Crown Prince.  
  
He had yet to accept that proposal yet, it was reported.  
  
"He'll no doubt say It was Ned Stark's doing again, just like he did during his own Rebellion. You know, Jenny, I didn't eat straps and rodents during the entire year long siege just for the valiant Ned Stark to take credit for my actions of keeping myself and Renly alive during the entire ordeal. Sometimes, I think that he just loves Ned more than me.." He sighed, and he sounded so utterly heartbroken over it, that Jeyne felt uttermost sorrow for him in that regard.  
  
"Oh bother that, I've known the heart of Ned Stark. He's just as honorable and dutiful as you are, my Lord. Robert is a fool not to see it, as I truly do. You're a honorable, loyal man and I adore you for it." She knew Ned Stark, although she supposed that he was a much harsher, more realistic version of him though. Ned saw only the best in people, Stannis saw the worst in people. She far preferred the cynic over the dreamer any-day, for the cynic would be the one to see past the deception in a person's character and would act accordingly. She felt safer knowing that he'd defend her and his children in every possible, even if it was harsh and against his own morals, than to be married to a man that was so full of dreams on how good people were, that they couldn't help but be delusional about people's true intent. She didn't hate Ned for that kind of thinking, but she believed it wouldn't help him in the long run though. "It's a shame to me, really, that he can't see that you and Ned are so alike, truly." She sighed, patting him on the back gently.  
  
Her husband sighed along with her, before getting up and getting changed.  
  
"Did you know Eddard Stark well, whilst he and you were in the Vale?"  
  
She hadn't told him about that kiss, not after all of these years. She didn't want to offend him, for him to be angry with Ned over it, considering Ned already got that kind of speech from her uncle that tore him asunder after hearing of it. "We were acquainted. I also knew of Brandon Stark as well. He was a ill-tempered young man, kind of like Robert, your own brother. He, like Robert, tried flirting with me for my brother to intervene and put a quick stop to that." She so dearly missed Elbert, with his kind sense of humor, his humbleness towards woman, and his protectiveness over her. He was highly protective of her, so much so, that when he died at the hands of Aerys II, that she found herself sobbing for many days on end, thinking about the terrible ways of which he died at the scab King's hands. She was so very devastated by his lost, that she had began leaning on Ned  for support and comfort, given that he also had lost someone due to the scab King - but this was post Harrenhal, and when she forgot about the kiss between them, when he left for Robert's Rebellion. He told her a lot about his life post the Sacking of Gulltown, and he even about his own grievance towards his own brother, indeed, she felt that she would have fallen for him due to those conversations. She loved his sense of duty, he loved her soft femininity, and thus, that begun her short-lived infatuation of him, eve though he told her very bluntly that he felt the same way at the tourney of Harrenhal, a thing she had ignored at the time in preference for needing someone to grieve with. Why didn't Jeyne jump with him when she had the chance? She sometimes pondered this, to stare at her husband and children that she blessed him with, and than she realized she had made the right decision in not consummating that kiss shared between herself and Ned Stark at Harrenhal.  
  
"I heard rumors about you and Ned Stark... They were untrue of course, that you produced his bastard." Jeyne's heart leap upon hearing this.  
  
"Those are farce rumors than. I was still but a maiden back than, I never produced the boy known as Jon Snow, and you know it. You saw the blood on the bed after our first bedding as I did." She felt like defending herself on this. It was such a bloody insult, to say that about her. Jeyne was never one for being a whore, not with any man, and not of wedlock, and not just because of her brother, even though he felt something similar enough to put an end to all challenges on her maidenhood. She was a devout worshiper of the Maiden, and to sleep with any man out of wedlock would insult the Goddess, of whom believed a maiden should be a maiden until she had been taken by her Lord husband and her lord husband alone. But besides that, she simply couldn't muster the courage to sunder herself in such a way. It seemed so very dishonorable to do, at least in her eyes, and besides, only whores got themselves pregnant out of wedlock. Jeyne wasn't a whore, most certainly not - no, she was a good Lady and like a good lady, she'd serve her Lord husband with whatever he desired out of her. Even though Stannis was a good husband, and a great father, and he always dotted on their children; Jeyne had also noted he smiled more around them. He seemed much more happy since he became a father to two strong young men.  
  
He leaned and kissed her, taking any words out of her mouth, as he fell on top of her. He was so big, so big indeed, and he was twice her size at that. She had always been a small girl, of a small size, but Stannis, he towered over her, even though he always got on top though. He didn't hitch off her raven/gold dress she was currently wearing, no, he left it on. He just wanted a taste of her before he left to King's Landing, no doubt. He was kissing her goodbye, no doubt, given that when he usually kissed her it was rather chaste. This kiss was not at all chaste, no, it was a kiss to a Lord to his dear Lady.  
  
He eventually got off of her though. "'I'm going to see Davos and our little fosterling, Robert Arryn, before I go to King's Landing alongside my levies." Robert Arryn was a curious case, a weak little boy, he had been born in King's Landing to Jon Arryn and his wife, Lysa Arryn, a hateful woman that seemed envious of her and the three healthy children that she had been blessed with. She hated it when they took him away to Storm's End upon Jon Arryn request though, when he had discovered the boy's appetite for his mother's tit milk though. Since than, she'd had the pleasure of his company, although she had to let Davos and her other children know to be extremely delicate with the Heir of the Eyre, for he was a rather delicate little boy that could hardly hold his own in a swordfight, much less a beat down from the rather boisterous Davos or her other children for that matter. Indeed, she had Maester Cressen tend him and to make sure that he was being fed more things of substance than he had been previously, given that he was terribly underweight which concerned her. But besides that, Stannis was keen on making him a man despite his little boyish potbelly and the fact he was about the size of Davos when he was just learning how to walk at the tender age of one. Indeed, she was concerned how long the little boy would last, even with him getting proper help and assistance for his pains - she'd never seen such an unhealthy child in her life, and she wondered how such a young woman like Lysa Tully could've given birth to such a child.  
  
"Good luck." She smiled, before he left her sitting on the bed.  
  
_________  
  
Joffrey Baratheon  
  
Usually, he did not feel such envy, such scorn, but he did in the case of Davos Baratheon. He was everything Joffrey was not - raven-haired, blue eyed, a mini template of his own Baratheon father, and not to mention, his father never ignored him. No, Stannis Baratheon, his uncle, loved his little son and heir, so much so, that he didn't have a Pate for beating his own son, no, he had nothing for him but a genuine love of him, something that Joffrey didn't have. He felt so utterly envious of Davos, his earnest cousin, the one that looked so very much like a Baratheon should be. Indeed, his mother boiled like an egg when she discovered that he could pick up Robert's own hammer, despite him only being ten - a mere year younger than himself, at that. He was everything that he  himself so wanted to be, a good son, a good heir, and most importantly, someone that was going to marry his sister, Myrcella, with her ink raven-black hair and deep blue eyes, someday.  
  
"Your uncle is coming here." His mother sighed, staring at him, as the two sat, overlooking the Stag pond that his father had installed in the Gardens of King's Landing. At one point, it had been of a raven-colored Dragon spewing water of it's lips like a Water dragon, but his father had that fountain removed in preference for a stag pool, with one large raven-colored dragon sitting in the pond, with it's golden-ore of an eye staring at everyone that passed it. His cousins, Davos and Steffon, liked the fountain like his father did when he saw fit to construct it in the Gardens, and thus, they spent some time chasing each other around it like normal boys..  like normal brothers. He didn't have the kind of relationship with his own little brother, Tommen - no, they had too large of an age gap between them to act like normal siblings, as for Myrcella, she just hated him something dearly, and she told him so right to his face. His sister was a rather blunt girl and was completely lacking in fear of himself and everyone around her, for that matter. His father liked kind of behavior from her, and even encouraged it.   
  
"Is Davos coming?" He mused. Whenever the Lord-Heir of Storm's End came to King's Landing, everyone In King's Landing stared at him, and saw him as a true Baratheon, like his own father.  
  
"No." She smiled.  
  
"Well, that's a bummer, now ain't it? My father so does love pushing me into a friendship with him..." Robert had tried, time and time again to get them to get along, with no avail, They were too different personality wise, Davos was boisterous, with a side of dutifulness.. whilst he, he wasn't exactly the most dutiful of Princes even though he did try to be, for his father's sakes. He personally believed that his father just wanted him to have a good Hand someday, and that his cousin would be prefect for the position, but he himself didn't want him to have it. It would be highly suspicious and would limit his own power if he were allow him to be the second most powerful within the realm; and besides, everyone is already suspicion of his birth, given how Jeyne Arryn, the boys mother, is a blonde in her own right, and she not once, had a single blonde-haired child. It would not be a very good idea to give him any kind of power within the realm when he was King himself.  
  
"You don't need to be friends with him, my sweet boy." She gave him a hug and a smile, as the two watched the gentle fountain together. She was about the best part in his life, the only one that gave him any semblance of love and affection. Unlike Davos, of whom had a normal, average childhood to two people of whom loved and adored him, he only had one person. That being his mother, otherwise, his father ignored him, or tried hitting him, in the case of the kittens he had saved from it's pregnant mother's womb to give to him. His father had hated it, so much so, that he had threaten to beat him into a pulp, with or without that hitting boy.  
  
"I know. I believe my father wants him to my Hand of the King, whenever I become King that is."  
  
"You need not listen to your father on whom you make your Hand, when you do become King, my sweet child." She smiled. "For when you are King, you get to decide who gets to be your Hand, not him, for he'd having a conversation with the worms underneath our feet when you don that Stag crown upon your golden curls." She sounded so very pleased about this, as she held onto him. She brushed his curls, with her hand, as the two watched the scenery together.  
  
"No doubt, and I get to decide whom I get to marry, regardless of what Davos says about it. He can fook off with his opinions of whom I marry and take as my Queen, his sister's beautiful and would make a good wife." He could just imagine her, with her long raven-locks, besides himself as his Queen, wearing the same golden crown as his mother's. Her dress would be stunning - a mix of the lion and of the crowned stag upon her emerald colored dress. Her blue eyes would shine, so full of love, for him, as she took her place besides him. Ned Stark's son would be forced to marry another, but the Targaryens did things similarly before though and they weren't dethroned after the second row of breaking marriage contracts for themselves anyhow. Besides, she was lovely to look at, even more lovely than Margaery Tyrell, the one that his father wanted him to marry. She had charcoal hair, the same color as his sisters, and a lovely heart-shaped face to add it to it. Her lips were full and red-colored, like her lips were rubies, and she had deep blue colored eyes, that he believed were nearly as endless as the sea itself.  
  
"If you want something when your a King, you need not ask, you simply take it, for it's yours, and nobody else's for that matter." She was right - that girl, she would belong to him, and Davos would have to bend his little knees to his own good brother, like the good underling he was. That Stark boy, he could burn in one of the Seven Hells for all he cared about him or his feelings on the matter. Besides, both were his little underlings, nothing more than a piece on a board anyhow, and besides, they wouldn't dare rebel against their true and rightful King, now would they? The Iron Throne was his by right of birth, and neither, besides for maybe Davos, had any claim to dispute with him over it. He'd rule over them, be their rightful King that they needed, and anyone that got his way could burn in one of the Seven Hells. He wouldn't make Davos his hand, no he wouldn't be a part of the Small Council at all, no, for he'd gain too much influence within the capital due to his Baratheon appearance and personality - of which was the fighting sort, and that is not something he wanted. He wanted to preserve his position upon the Iron Throne, not hinder it, and by allowing Davos to show his face within the gates of King's Landing, he'd hinder it for everyone saw him as a true Baratheon.. and himself as a Lannister, due to his golden-blonde hair and green eyes. The only one without that look would be Myrcella.   
  
"Yes. Like Prince Rhaegar took Lyanna Stark, or that brother-fucker Shaera Targaryen ran off and married her brother, Jaehaerys II in secret, I'd like to take my own beloved woman, that Jocelyn Baratheon, and proclaim her as my Queen. Queen Jocelyn Baratheon, it sounds so very nice to me. And besides, uncle Stannis should be honored I want his daughter as Queen" He couldn't help but think about Stannis's reaction on it, and somehow, he believed he'd be utterly disappointed, even despite his loyalty to his father and the Kingdom. He had no doubt that dour Stannis would also bend the knee before him, like Davos would. Both of them, they were nothing but underlings sworn to someone that had a divine right to the Iron Throne that neither of them possessed. No, it was only children of Robert Baratheon that were worthy of the Crown, not the children of his uncle or even his uncle himself. Though, he wasn't worried about Renly though, that boy was busy sitting on Dragonstone, spending whatever of the allowance that his Kingly father bestowed upon him; or doing what the rumors said, he was busy fucking men and boys on his luxury island. He'd seen Renly before, he was always dressed in clothes to impress people, and he was always seen around his squire, Loras Tyrell. The Knight of Flowers was someone he was sort of indifferent about, even though Tommen adored him and desperately wanted to squire under him someday.  
  
"I think Stannis would bend his icy knees to you, and besides, the might of Casterly Rock will always help you, in whatever conquest you see fit." Casterly Rock had enough levies to defend itself against Icy Stannis's reach anyhow, and the might of the Iron Throne was sufficient enough to allow himself to do whatever he wished. If he wanted the girl, he'd best take her... He'd think with a smile adoring his features. For once, that Davos wouldn't get what he wanted out of life, no, but he would, and he'd take it any and all cost to himself. If it meant happiness, he'd be about willing to do anything to get it. Anything, even if meant making other people suffer in his own pursuit of happiness, for the happiness of their king was most paramount to them as well, he'd assume. 


	7. Balon's Foolish Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we explore what Stannis did during Balon's rebellion and what happened there in the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be my weakest chapter yet XD and ye Davos is sort of like Jon Snow in terms of personality bc of sheer unoriginality out of my part. I'll have you know, coming up with 4 oc's personalities is no walk in the park, lol. The only one that's sort of original out of them would be Steffon. He's like a male Sansa, if Sansa could be male, than you'd get Steffon. Their sister is like Arya Stark personality wise.

"I instruct you, my dear brother, to go Pyke with me. Lord Eddard Stark will go to one of the Goodbrother's islands with his levies, my King's Guard Commander will instruct my King's Landing levies on Holy Pyke." Robert was smiling rather blithely at the map before them, of the Iron Isles. Personally, Stannis believed Balon was a fool to consider such a maneuver against Robert, given the look in the his brothers eyes. It was the look of pure delight, considering Robert loved warring, drinking, and whorring amongst all other things, and he loved warring - this foolish 'King' of the Iron Isle, he was a fool. A fool not to see that he had just awoken a war-hungry King from his drunken slumber, and that he was about to be stomped on by a large boot by the Iron Throne. Stannis wondered what he was thinking with such a dullard move, but than again, the Iron Isles had never been know for it's intelligence, not since Aegon the Conquered had burned House Hoare to the ground in it's newly constructed castle of Harrenhal. However, as for the current Iron Born threat; he had invited Lord Ned Stark from the bowels of the North to join them. He was dressed casually but also well enough, in a grey/white colored long shirt and a pair of musky boots, along with wearing a large raven-colored bear-hide covering his back, of which was held up by a grey/white pin bearing the House Insgima of House Stark; a snarling direwolf. They didn't have much to say to one another, but he wished to speak to him about Jeyne. Mostly because he was suspicious, and because of how flustered Jenny got sometimes about the Warden of the North. 

"Yes, my King." He said, turning towards his brother, of whom was the central person in the room besides for Jon Arryn., the Hand, of whom was currently sitting of to the side. He looked so old, in his opinion, and he guessed Jenny thought so as well, considering she was the one that offered to take his son with her back to Storm's End. But maybe, it was because his wife was utterly out of her mind, breast-feeding the lad well past his fifth birthday. Utter madness to do to a child of his age, and Jeyne recognized it, considering it was she whom made the suggestion to begin out of concern. To say that Lady Arryn took the idea was entirely unbecoming; she took that idea none too well, and cried heavily about losing her only child to them - to _her_ , to Jeyne, more or less. Lysa had never liked Jeyne, nought at all, and hated on his most beloved wife, for being a fertile Arryn whom's children could potentially take the Eyre away from her sweetrobin once he died. Which he no doubt would do so soon, given the boy's extremely poor health and seemly lack of constitution. But besides, he hoped that Jon didn't outlive the boy, like he did with all of his other relatives - to Stannis, it appeared that the Arryns suffered through extreme poor luck with heirs and such. He hoped he didn't have to wake Steffon for the notion that once Robert Arryn died, he'd be heir of the Eyre, with all things said and done, and that'd he have to take on his mother's last name. Or they simply could give the Vale to Harrold Hardying - that also could be an option as well, if Robert died that is, considering he had the Arryn look, and besides, he was willing to depart with his own Hardyng last name and take on the Arryn name...

Everyone else agreed with him in this, including that sly fellow known as Littlefinger. After seeing that little man, he was immediately going to confront Jon Arryn on that decision. The man seemed completely untrustworthy, and besides, Robert wouldn't listen to him anyhow. Robert would think he was saying was self-centered, self-indulgent, considering he wouldn't even listen to his request about banning whores. To that request, the man had scoffed, and asked him if he'd like to ban shitting and drinking in the city - something he wouldn't actually mind banning, before sending him on his way back to Jeyne. Jeyne had quipped that it wouldn't be practical to ban whores, considering they were an essential part of King's Landing economy, something he was aware of. He asked her if she was defending whoring as a business, she shrugged and said that in order to rule a Kingdom, one must have funds to run it, and whores, despite being a excessive sin on another man's behalf, were a part of that ecosystem. It was a rather pragmatic way to look at the problem, admittedly, but he still banned whores within his own realm regardless of what she felt about it though. 

_______

The farce Rebellion came as it went. Robert and him went off to main island of Pyke with their levies that completely out-shadowed those of Lord Balon's. Lord Stark went to one of the other islands with his levies, and so on and so forth. Indeed, the entire process was quite tiredsome, with he and Robert basically strolling into Pyke, completely unharmed or unfettered, as one of their towers fell down onto one of the Lords sons. That was unfortunate, but the boy was a Iron born, bred for stealing and plundering from other kingdoms like vermin. In truth, he felt no regrets in seeing them be killed, it was only natural that those that practice such a folly should be paid in blood and steel for their unjust practices.  Jeyne would think he was cruel, to think it was just to see people die, for not all Iron Born were raiders, she'd preach on and on about mercy, but she understood very little in the ways of war. She was a woman, afterall, a highborn one, and did not see the full extent to Robert's Rebellion, even though she saw the subsequent burning and sacking of Gulltown, done by Robert and Jon Arryn after the Lord of Gulltown decided on being a loyalist to the Dragon Lords. She was right though, not all Iron born were raiders, most were fishing folks just trying to make a living for themselves, but the ones they were fighting weren't those, they were raiders, those that attacked the coastlines of the North, the Riverlands, and the Westerlands.

They weren't worthy of mercy.

But they won the battle, in any case. It wasn't too particularly difficult, not like attacking those sea dogs at sea though, considering it was their natural climate. Oh yes, he fought a sea battle with those blasted Iron Born, and sunk half a dozen of their ships with the help of Lord Verayon. He was happy that Verayon did indeed assist him with the task at hand, considering the Targaryen-looking man was a blasted good sailor, that Lord of the Waves he was. He certainly deserved his moniker, and he believed he was the one whom blew up one of the Greyjoy's ships, even though it unfortunately killed none of Balon's half-witted brothers, even as they destroyed the rest of the Greyjoy fleet with no mercy. Those brothers of Balon's were the ones that destroyed Casterly Rock's ships with fire, he had heard. He wondered which one of them was smart enough to contrive such a plan to begin with, but no doubt this would be an interesting tail to tell Davos and Steffon. The boys would no doubt, love hearing of his exploits in the name of Robert, and besides, he liked telling stories to them. They were inventive listeners when he told stories - and he wondered if Robert Arryn would join them. He hoped he did, the boy was in dire-need of a role model of any sort, and besides, Jeyne couldn't coddle the boy forever, even though she would no doubt try. She was extra protective of him due to his many weaknesses, and because he was a member of her house, apparently. He suspiciously had brown-coloured hair, not Jeyne or Harrold Hardyng's dirty blonde locks of hair, and Harold Hardyng is said to look like Jon Arryn in his youth.. 

As for Balon himself, he had tried convincing Robert to kill the treacherous dog, but Robert decided on giving him the gift of mercy for whom knows what reason, but it didn't seem logical to him to leave that traitorous dog alive. However, Robert had one more surpisse up his sleeve; for he rewarded Ned Stark, or more like burdened him, with Theon Greyjoy, Balon's heir. He appeared to be Davos's age, which was about ten-elven years of age, when he himself saw him for the first time anyhow. Robert had tried giving the boy to him at first, but he refused, given that they already had one little foreign Lord at Storm's End already. So, than he gave the Iron Born child to Ned Stark's care, and off he went to Winterfell. He thought that rebellion was rather weak, and if he were Robert, that insipid little Squid King's head would no doubt be on the chopping block for rebelling against his betters. But than again, Robert loved war... He was left with the rather discomforting thought that he was leaving the Squid Lord alive simply because he knew Balon would stir up trouble once again. That was not a thought Stannis was particularly fond of; he enjoyed living in times of peace more than times of war, quite unlike Robert, but when things came to a war, he'd do what needed to be done, even if it went against his morals, and nothing less, for he was nothing short of a dutiful man to his all of his commitments. 

Than, he talked to Ned Stark in regards to Jeyne, his beloved Lady wife. Well, it was awkward, to say in the least. Sometimes when he talked to the man, he felt like he was speaking a literal mirror image of himself, which was extremely embarrassing to say in least; Jeyne was right again on this, Jeyne was right a lot, Stannis would think. No wonder why Jeyne had previously liked him. He kind of guessed his lady wife had something of a past crush on the Lord - it would only be natural, given that both were in the Vale and were practically raised alongside one another. But besides that little nuanced thought of his, they had some of their children promised to one another by Robert's wills. So, his son and heir was younger than of his sweet Jocelyn; indeed, there was nearly a three year age gap between the two. He came into the conversation with indifference, and came out it of feeling the same level of said indifference. 

The Warden of the North returned to the North, like the dutiful man he was.  He also dealt with Cersei Lannister when he went to King's Landing briefly during his stay at the Red Keep; the Queen Consort seemed to have something against him - or more like against Jeyne, probably. That woman was a conniving, cold-hearted woman in his opinion and he felt sorrow for his brother for having to be burdened with such a woman. He didn't understand why Cersei would hate Jeyne, and he'd know it considering he knew Jeyne and what a wonderful diplomat she is, but he didn't believe Jeyne knew about the boiling hatred Cersei seem to have for her, even though they interacted from time to time when Jeyne joined him at court which she did sometimes along with their children so that they might interact with their cousins; she was always very polite and courteous, traits he highly admired out of a Lady of his. Or maybe Jeyne did know about the Queen's dislike of her, but choice not to comment on it less she make the Queen more angry at her, for some god's known what reason, but whatever Cersei thought of Jeyne concerned him slightly. He didn't want the Queen to poison her in her sleep, or hurt her, for Cersei was well known for her wroth temper. She was said to have killed twins born from one of Robert's love affairs with a Westerlands woman, and to have sold the woman in slavery. Such rumors did not sit well with him, in regards to the woman known as Cersei Lannister. It made him highly cautious when dealing with her, and he assumed similarly of Jeyne, of whom had to be extra careful with the paranoid Queen Consort.

________________

As for his return home, It was nice. His children wanted to hear all about what he did, which was charming, and so he told them about his sea battle with those Sea Dogs from the Iron Isles.

"We knew where they were when we struck them. Indeed, I and our Shield-Lord Farman knew exactly they were in the Summer seas and thus, it was rather easy... to sneak up on them and surprise them with an attack. We burned the vast majority of their taken-aback vessels, but alas, all of those bloody squids escaped back to the Iron Isles. I even heard that one of 'em became a religion nut 'cause I drowned his vessel and he 'drowned' apparently." Stannis didn't think he drowned in the least, given that he was still alive and breathing. He didn't understand the Iron Born's religion, but he did find it peculiar that he, of all people, had made someone a religious zealot though. He didn't laugh often, but when he heard that news, he couldn't help but chuckle just a bit at that bit of information. It just seemed so funny to him, that he a person of no particular belief, had made another man a bitch towards a master of whom he called the Sea God. 

"So ye did it without mercy?" Steffon asked, staring at him. Out of all of his children, Steffon was the most like him semi-personality wise, as well as looking more like him than  any of his other children did. He was dutiful, principled and above all other things, polite and charismatic, a complete flip-flop of Davos, of whom had unfortunately inherited his inverted nature. He had well-cut raven-coloured hair, his own unfortunate chin, and his mother's aquiline nose. He hoped that Sansa would like him, whenever she met him, that is. The two had not met yet, even though he wished it, considering someday she'd be his son's wife as it is. Ned had told him that she was a dutiful, but pretty girl with her mother's coloring, meaning that she looked like a Tully. Ned had a bit offended that Arya, his second daughter, hadn't be offered up to Steffon in marriage instead, considering he was only a second son and not an heir to anything of importance, an irony that had not been lost on him, considering the two of them were second sons themselves

"Obviously." He shrugged. Steffon was eight year olds, he was old enough to hear news like this. Considering the fact that he was old enough to squire for a man, than rest assured, he was old enough to hear news about a war that his father had participated in. Besides, Stannis believes it to be a good thing that they hear about their own father's deeds, rather than looking up to let's say Robert about everything. He dearly hoped none of his children felt that way towards his brother though; he was rather getting obese as of late, which was an unfortunate thing, and he was publicly whoring now, much like Aegon the Unworthy did in days past. He vaguely wondered why he even bothered talking to Robert about anything, given how much respect he got out of talking to him.

"Oh cool!" Steffon's eyes widened. 

"Only the weak allow traitors to live anyhow." Davos his heir, stated as he stood forward out of the shadows like some silent ghost or something. Previously, he had been brooding away in some corner about something, Stannis wasn't sure what, but Davos did a lot of brooding and worrying, about basically everything. Stannis believed that caution was good, but that his brooding might lead to paranoia, and than he'd end up like Cersei Lannister, a mad, paranoid woman with nothing in her head besides for some misheld belief that everyone was plotting against her. Davos was a strapping youth with his mother's bright blue eyes and clean, well-cut raven-colored hair; he was quite strong looking at that, with a mass of muscles visible on his arms. He was actually considered handsome and popular with girls his own age, but never really approached them, instead preferring his books and sword-fighting practices over conversing with them. Than again, Davos was a rather solemn, quiet person as it was. People weren't really Davos's strength, which was unfortunate. Steffon though, he was great with woman and was as charismatic with people as the two of them were combined together; he believed that Steffon was blessed with this gift from his mother.

"I dunno about that, Davos, what 'bout nobles as prisoners of war? Should you kill your valuable hostages just because they don't bow before your will immediately? I don't think so, there's a way to do war proper. I do think that with the Iron Born, yes, they should all be slaughtered when out in war with 'em, for their entire culture is built around rape and pillaging, like the Dothraki. " 

"I'll have you know, Steffon, that not all Iron Born are reavers. Most are fishermen, my boy."

"I know that, mum says that. She's never in danger of them reaping her crops by those crop-stealers up on the Iron Isles. But, I do personally think she's forgotten 'bout those clansmen they had up in the Vale, of whom haunt them there, like the Iron Born do to the Riverlands, the North, the Westerlands, and the Reach." Steffon pouted.

"And besides I never mentioned anything about prisoners of war, Steffon. They were traitors to the true King, as it was, by serving that supposed Seaweed _Lord_ of theirs's in a futile rebellion. Father did what was right." Davos shrugged indifferently.  

They usually had some kind of phycological arguments, of some sorts whenever he came back from King's Landing - something that Stannis found amusing for the most part. Both of his sons were intelligent, well-read and enjoy reading war stories like normal boys might, he supposed. They had such a healthy, average relationship between the two, that he was happy. However, Tommen Baratheon noticed the love shared between the two brothers - considering how he was always trying to befriend the pairing, which Davos took as a compliment. Indeed, the boy had started following the two about as of late, whilst Joffrey the eldest and Crown Prince, often sat out of such frivolous activities done between the boys though, even though the envy was always there with him. Stannis suspected he was jealous of Davos and Steffon - an occurrence he didn't expect, In all honesty given Joffrey's status above his two sons. He had almost half- expected it to be opposite way around, whereas Davos would be the envious one out of the pair of cousins, not it be the Crown Prince, the one that would rule over the Seven Kingdoms, be the jealous one of the pack. 

 


	8. CANON I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jon Arryn dies and Jeyne reacts.

Jeyne,

"What do you mean that my uncle is dead?" Jeyne's eyes enlarged upon hearing this news from her husband. She hugged him, as he stood in front of her, and he embraced her back in his strong arms. Jeyne couldn't image it - he was always so strong, even in his elderly age. How could he have died so soon and so suddenly for that? Jeyne remembered times of joy and laughter with him, as he took her out hunting for beautiful monarch butterflies that gently roamed the fertile lands of the Vale. She remembered Elbert, in all of his glory, with that insufferable grin on his face, as Jon took them out hawking for the first time. Her hawk had been named Charity, and she was a beautifully graceful little thing. She remembered it well, as it sore in the bright blue sky, her and brother's laughter upon seeing it sore, and sore, until she called it back. It had landed on her arm without starching a single piece of flesh on her body, which she liked. Jeyne also remembered him reading a book to her about Duncan and Egg as a child - it was a fanciful tale, no doubt, but it was based off of a legit Targaryen King though. Aegon V, the weakling, she remembered, he was the one that went and accidentally caused the destruction of his House by allowing his children to forgo their promised maids and lords to go after their own desires, like selfish children they were. Stannis considered that kind of parenting out of a committed father to be poor, considering a father had to tough on their children when they were being disobedient. He also said that Aegon failed in his duties to the realm, to his House, to the people he wanted to protect, by allowing his children's disobedience to go unpunished like it did.

He nodded, before Jeyne saw her. It was a hooded small girl wearing an emerald colored cloak of House Baratheon following besides Stannis - it also had golden sparkles embroiled into it's soft fabric. She couldn't see the girl's face, but she could see the luxurious raven-colored mane underneath the little girl's hoodie. The little girl also wore a rather simple emerald colored dress that fell delicately down to her knees, and she could see the girl worn clear worn in boots underneath the fabric of her dress. When the girl looked up, she saw that she had the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen besides for the eyes of her own babies, and the girl had a heart-shape face, which reminded her so very much of Jocelyn. She also had tiny freckles upon her face, which only added to her sweet, childish loveliness. Her body still retained some baby fat, considering her full cheeks and her figure was slightly large, but nothing to frown down on. Indeed, she would be considered a beauty by most, given that the child was basically what a younger Robert would appear to look like if he were a female. She saw no trace of her Lannister mother anywhere on her facial features.

"Father had sent me to Storm's End on the eve of my brother Joffrey's engagement to Lady Margery Tyrell." Myrella responded, with a smile adoring face; Jeyne would note her smile had dimples and was oddly remensect that reminded her so much of a young Robert. Indeed, she had his look - and Cersei's own beauty was nowhere to be seen in the girl's face. Even though she did have something of Cersei's, only one minor thing really, she had Cersei's facial shape. That was the only thing Cersei gave to the child, and she was all the more beautiful for it. As for Cersei's reaction on this, she could only suffice that Cersei was about ready to strangle Robert in his sleep for taking her only daughter away from her and Into their care, even though Jeyne wasn't sure if Cersei really cared for the child, given the coldness and the distant between them that was so prevalent that she herself could see it. It was really that bad, really. She felt horridly sorry for the little Princess Mycrella, to be stuck in such a cold climate with that woman.

She immediately stared at her husband. "How did Cersei respond to this?" Jeyne knew that Cersei would be so very furious at the fact that they basically took a hold of her only daughter. Indescribably furious. She could hardly image it, but she did like imaging how puffed up and red Cersei would get over this supposed 'abduction' of her daughter made by her arch nemesis. She didn't really care for the Queen Consort all that much and she knew somewhat of Cersei's own irrational hatred towards herself. She use to worry that she'd get poisoned by Cersei, or that some faceless man would murder her in her own bed for the crime of interacting with Cersei's wroth temper. Or likely, nothing would happen, considering she hadn't do anything in the last century to her. She had rather suspected it had to do with her uncle's influence rather than her own, that kept her safe all of those years from the Queen hand. Now that Jon Arryn was gone from this world, she wasn't so sure that she was safe from the Queen's wrath now, which rather worried her.

"Not well, I'd assume." Stannis shrugged, as the girl was holding his hand, with a bright smile on her face.

"I don't care what my mother says about me being here to be honest " She stated, with a rather sullen expression on her face . "But regardless of that, I'm here to meet Davos, my current Fiance, as I'm to be the Lady of Storm's End someday and I best get antiquated with my Lord, like what papa told me to do." She smiled her all dimpled smile once again. Jeyne noted that she was a rather smiley one, but that just served to make her look cute and sweet, considering the dimple on her cheeks. She also looked like a well-adjusted young girl through; her eyes sparkled with a great deal of intelligence.  

Myrcella was her father's favorite child by far out of the three children of Robert's - or so she heard from her Lord husband. Although, admittedly Jeyne had see Robert's favoritism towards her herself; Robert always sat the little girl on his lap when she was but a wee lass, was known for cuddling the infant Myrcella, and even enjoyed the sounds of her soft giggles as a babe, for she did what none of Cersei's other children did before her, she loved him as an infant. Tommen and Joffrey cried when placed in his arms, and thus he ignored them, for Robert wanted to be loved. She knew that Robert wanted it, but she felt that he was as utterly selfish as Cersei was; he was a wine-sodden drunk, a horrible husband that disgraced his own Queen wife with his whoring.. or even according to some rumors, beat his own queen when she disappointed him. That was not the kind of man Jeyne wanted to be married too, not by a long shot, and she was glad she was with Stannis. He never drunk, never hit her, nor whored - no, he was extremely loyal and kindly to her and the three youngsters that they had together produced, and she adored him for it.

"Myrcella, you remind me so very much of Robert." Jeyne couldn't help herself, but she said it in good taste. The girl was such a lovely little specimen, of all things, that she believed it to be a compliment to be compared to him. In least in terms of looks, that is. As a person, Robert needed some work. He needed to get over Lyanna Stark first and foremost, she was dead and not coming back; and besides, this kind of mourning that Robert was doing was unhealthy towards his and Cersei's relationship. It would break their marriage into tiny pieces, if it didn't already. She mourned her own brother of course, but she didn't do it at the expense of her family though, and nor did she want too. She hoped that Robert moved on from Lyanna someday and find actual love with his own wife Cersei, but somehow, she doubted that it could happen now. It was ten years too late for such an occurrence to happen, but she hoped Cersei wasn't suffering too much because of him, if the rumors about what he did to her were indeed true.

"Mum says that too, but she doesn't seem happy about it. But everyone else says I'm pretty, including pappy. He once gave me a vase full of beautiful Blue Roses from the Wall, and said I was as beautiful as them." Jeyne's eyes about widened upon hearing that confession from the child; weren't those Lyanna Stark's favorite kind or flowers? Though she

wouldn't burden the girl with that information. She didn't want Myrcella to know what she thought - that Robert was replacing his dream lady of Lyanna with his beloved daughter Myrcella. That was such a unhealthy to do to a child, she simply couldn't bear the thought of it. That he cared for the idea of Lyanna, so much, that he'd start daydreaming about Lyanna within Myrcella. She wondered if he did things similarly when he looked upon Arya Stark or even her own rebellious daughter, of whom hated the idea of her getting married - a thing she damn would do, if it was the last thing Jeyne had to force on her. Her daughter had no awareness that if she didn't get married to her current fiance than she'd be basically be breaking an alliance between them and the North - Jeyne took the notion of allies and vows seriously as it was, and Jocelyn's personal opinions didn't matter on the subject. She'd someday get married and produce Stark offspring to her own Lordly husband, Robb Stark. End of story.

Her husband seemed to realize what exactly she said considering he stepped in for her at the very last moment upon seeing her facial, much to her own eternal relief. "Let's go see my son, shall we, my Princess?"

"That is if you can find him, Stannis." She smirked, watching them go. He gave her a rather half-hearted smile at that. That boy of there's, he was a shy one, always hiding up in his room or somewhere else for that matter. It would be a miracle if they found him. But than again, her daughter could find him. She could find him no matter where he was, given the nature of their relationship, but she wasn't sure if the girl would help them or not. She was off fencing with her teacher that Stannis found whilst on a business trip to Pentoshi. He was teaching how to duel, a popular Pentoshi pastime, and besides, the girl had begged Stannis with a feverous determination for a sword's person to train her in some self-defence practice. It was only proper that a Baratheon lady learn the art of self-defence, given that the rest of the Marchers loved to war, and besides, she was a strong, healthy young woman as it was. It wouldn't hurt her to learn, even though someday she'd have to be a good lady to her Lord husband.

______

Cersei Lannister,

"How could you give our daughter up to Stannis?" Cersei felt like roaring at her husband's folly, as he sat there drinking like fool. Indeed, he never listened to her, never, not after she warned him on such a folly, not after she warned him on how bad it would be that Stannis would have a hostage against them in her form. Now, her own personal opinion on the girl is that she looked, smelled, and acted too much like Robert for her own liking, even despite her own fragile beauty... it made Cersei feel nauseous, even holding the girl, even knowing who's daughter she truly was. She wasn't a love child, no, not like her prized sons, no she was the product of duty brought forth by Jeyne Arryn and her raven-haired troop. Honestly, she hated and despised Myrcella's pregnancy most of all for that reason alone, that the sperm to create her very being is truly Robert's. She knew, because she had to resist Jaime's grasp for that nauseating sex between her and her own Kingly husband, a man she hated. She hated him, all of him - he raped her In his supposed drunken stupor, and it was highly likely that Myrcella was a product of one of those unfortunate encounters between herself and her own Kingly husband. It likely explained her own indifference regarding her own daughter, she could care less about someone of Roberts own blood

"Because woman, I said so." That drunken oaf of a King said, as he drunk more out of his cups.

"You may as well have handed them leverage over us! Do you not care about that?" Cersei demanded. She knew it was rather unbecoming of her to talk to him like this, given that he was King, and she but a mere Queen Consort, but he was such a bloody dullard. A dullard with no self-awareness on how important Myrcella was. Myrcella could've been used for a number of things, but not as a bloody hostage to Lord Stannis the Dour One.

"She's not a hostage to Stannis, she's a guest at Storm's End and besides, I like Stannis's pretty little daughter, she'd make a good friend for Myrcella." He shrugged. Yes, that girl, she could be used to booster Joffrey's own claim upon the throne, if only Robert had an inkling of an idea what they could gain from such an marriage... She'd give him proper raven-haired children, solidify his reign in the name of the Gods, and produce trueborn Baratheon offspring. That way, the entire Kingdom would have no doubts on Joffrey's legitimacy. But no, he choice to do this. He was giving them power, more and more of it, by forcing that insufferable marriage down his brother's throat. She had no doubts on his love of Starks, given the current marriages proposals that he and Jon Arryn had created - but the fact that he was giving his brother alliances with the North and the Riverlands was a completely and utterly unacceptable. It would only led to her ruin, and she was almost entirely powerless to stop it, which infuriated her beyond belief. She hated feeling so utterly helpless like this.

She frowned. Her husband was utterly blind not to see the obvious in front of his eyes. "Your just giving them more power, Robert. Do you not see that? With their marriage contract between Robb Stark and Jocelyn Baratheon, you rewarded your brother with the combined assistance of the Starks and the Tully's for it's worth. Not to mention, the engagement between Steffon and Sansa Stark, Ned Stark's daughter, just serves to reward the Starks and by extension, the North, with even more power and influence. I think it would be better if Joffrey married Jocelyn, if you will, it'd reward Lord Stannis for his efforts during Balon's rebellion. Besides, whom wouldn't want their daughter to be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms?" _And besides, she's young enough to be influenced by me._ Cersei wanted to make sure that they had a conduit in the case the Stormland House of Baratheon did anything unworthy with the powers that abide them, considering their rather duplex claim to the Throne itself. It would be unwise to leave them unsupervised in their excesses, for any amount of time, for they may turn into the next Blackfyres if they weren't careful about whom they trusted in the long run. But besides that, she wanted a hostage from Jeyne Arryn, and whom better was it than her own sweet little daughter? She was the youngest of the three, and thus, more likely to be influenced by her than any one of her three shites.

"I said no to that request of yours several times now, woman" He frowned. "Jocelyn is to marry Robb Stark and she's to be his Lady, even though I was slightly intrigued enough to put her with Willas Tyrell instead of him due to what Jon Arryn had to say on the matter. But alas, the boy was already promised to someone else, and Robb was available for marriage - and besides, he's about her age, and I want some Baratheon blood running through the Starks own." That no doubt was about Lyanna, the one he wanted to marry, now wasn't it? She hated the Starks, the infernal fools that Robert loved - he'd cover everything with wolf coats, if it were up to him, due to that dead woman Lyanna. Lyanna everything was on this simpleton's mind, everything, and it made Cersei hate her with a incredible passion, even now.

"Why not put Lord Robb with Myrcella instead of Jocelyn?" That was a perfectly reasonable request out of her considering, he'd get everything he wanted out of that agreement. Baratheon blood runs as clear as deep red blood through Myrcella, and not to mention, Jof could potentially make Robb Stark Hand of the King someday due to a kinship between them. It would serve her interests as well as his, to make Myrcella the Lady of Winterfell rather than the Lady of Storm's End whilst Jocelyn got to fulfil her purpose as Joffrey's wife and mother to his heirs

"I like my nephew. He's worthy enough to handle my sweet little blue rose, and I want to keep Myrcella nearby, as it is. It would make me a happy man to know that she was happy, at least with her Lordly husband." He sighed, drinking more.

"You think Robb Stark's worthy enough of Jocelyn though." She tilted her head at that. As for what he thought about Myrcella… She believed that he was trying to make her into his next Lyanna, and she'd fight him on it, with her Lioness claws ready and engaged if need be. Actually, she was considering on murdering him now, so that Joffrey might take control of the House and thus, be able to do whatever he wanted. She was glad, when he choice to dispose of that rather tedious marriage disposal, as it was. He was infatuated by the girl, so it wouldn't be much of a problem to convince him to command Robb Stark to do so. It also wouldn't be much of a problem to convince Jocelyn to join him at court, given that she was a naïve child. She was sure that Jeyne Arryn would be secretly be dreading her daughter's apprenticeship here under her own strict thumb, a fact she'd enjoy greatly. She'd enjoy seeing Jeyne grovel before her, like a commoner, whilst she sung the rains of Castamere to her as she took her head to put on her mantel. Some people, like Stannis Baratheon, seemed to think she was a paranoid, mad woman, and they'd learn to call her Queen with respect as she took her place upon the Iron Throne, with Joffrey besides - him looking as marvellous as a King should look, with a Robert's crown resting upon his golden curls, and the respect of everyone bowing before her and his feet, as they entered the grand throne room with people throwing them flowers and popcorn kennels, as they made their way into the room that was completely and utterly there's, not Robert's in any way possible. In a way, all of her hopes and dreams rested on him...  

"Oh shut your mouth woman, your not going to convince me to drop the bethronal between the two no matter how much you try." Robert blathered on like the fool he was to the obvious, to the great irritation of Cersei. She dropped the subject with a sigh, knowing that she wouldn't be able to win this subject with him regardless of what she tried to do. No, the only solution to this problem was Joffrey's ascension to the Throne with his queen being Jocelyn instead of the Queen of Thorns brat of a granddaughter, and Robert's subsequent demise... That way, that bloody prophecy made by Maggy the Frog would never come to pass. With her son ruling with a trueborn Baratheon as Queen and chieftess bed warmer of Joffrey,  than she'd be able to die in peace - with no worries of no other Queen dethroning her off of her own rightful seat of power, no two red-coloured sheets containing her children, no Jeyne Arryn, no anything to hurt her personal safety and nor her children's health. Just her and her own security would ensured in this.

______________

Jeyne Arryn,

"So, your father is dead, Robert." She stared at the small child, with a small, but sad smile on her face. She had been dreading talking to him about, given how old he is. He's only a six, and now a Lord Paramount. Now that she thought about, whom would lead the Vale now due to their Lord being but a mere small child? She would think; _I could possibly be his Lady Regent, if Stannis lets me._ They'd let her be his Lady Regent, she could be like Queen Sharra Arryn reborn, but the question is, if Stannis would let her go to the Vale and do this deed in her cousin's name.

"Yes.. I've heard." Robert snuggled against her, putting his face against her breasts. Jeyne couldn't help but blush and push the little boy off of her breasts. She wasn't his mother, even if he wanted her to be. "I would like it if you escorted me to the Vale, Jenny. That's what he called you, right?" He tilted his head ever so curiously. Ever since they took him in, he's gotten stronger, and more able, and according to Maester Cressen, more healthy as of late. She took that as a good sign. He was also slowly gaining weight - he use to be the weight of a doll, now he was about the weight of a three year old Davos. He also was getting stronger, not enough to sword fight, but enough to be able to take long walks around the Stormlands with them without being cared. The Maester was also busy making a cure for his shaking disease, which was allowing him to grow mentally as well as physically, a development that was well needed indeed. He was also reportedly growing more normal for his age, which was nice enough to see, given how small and skinny he use to be prior to his time here. Stannis also believed that someone should tutor him on being a proper Lord as well, given that he was the sole heir to the Eyre, and so Maester Cressen also tended to that as well.

She laughed, "Yes, he called me Jenny, because that's a nickname for Jeyne." She knew Jenny was a longer word than Jeyne itself, but she liked the nickname regardless. "As for me coming to the Vale with you, I'd love to." She smirked at the child. He was so genuine, such a sweetie, that she genuinely enjoyed his company. She found him to be very intelligent, when he wanted to be, considering he rightfully believed Harrold was after his position. She found Harrold to be the Arryn's version of Robert himself, which was to say a womanizer, and thus she found that she didn't really care for Harrold.

"I'd love it too... Because your so kind." He smiled at her. She hoped that she wasn't being overtly kind to him, no, he needed to be a little Lord, given his father's death. A little Lord had to learn to deal with people in an appropriate fashion, regardless of what he felt about it. It was his term to lead, not follow, as she firmly believed. "And you helped me deal with Davos and the others. It was so hard at the beginning of my stay here, to be weaned off of my mummy, that my shacking got practically unbearable." That was right, and that's why she was so very concerned about his health if he were to return to Lysa Arryn. She would undo everything that she and Stannis did for him, no doubt, considering she thought of them cruel to do what they did to him, even if it was for a good and worthy purpose, that would benefited his life in the long run.

"Ah.. I'm so sorry Robert, but I'm glad that Maester Cressen is working on a cure for your disease." He had been bed-ridden for several weeks in the first month of him being here, but he recovered soundly, to her relief. His skin was also clearer, given that it use to be blotchy in appearance due to the blood sucking leeches, but they were cleaning up more so now. Now, they did leach him still, due to his bad blood, but not as much as he use to be leached through, which led to a healthier looking complexation. His own bright blue eyes were more energetic filled too, she'd note to herself. She had hope that he'd live a longer and healthier lifestyle now, due to their inference in his so-far short life. He still played games, like a normal boy, but at least he was aware of the weaknesses he possessed.

He smiled at her, before hugging her once more.

__________

Cersei Lannister

The new challenge for her boy's legitimacy was now the supposed new Hand of the King, Ned Stark, a friend of Robert's from his childhood in the Eyre. She pondered what to do about him, as she and her two boys went to Winterfell alongside Robert.

She vaguely pondered how well this meeting in Winterfell would go, considering Jon Arryn died before he grasped onto the secret of her two sons trueborn father. He had always been suspicious of her boys true father, and was even more puzzled when Myrcella was the only one with raven hair and blue eyes out of the pair of golden-haired love children. She suspected he knew, that he always knew that Joffrey was a product of her and Jaime's true love. But now, he was dead, killed because of god's know what reason, but whatever it was, she hoped that this Northerner wouldn't make the same mistake as Jon Arryn did.

Now, the game truly begun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Baratheon's are descendants of Aegon V's through the only dutiful daughter of his, Rhaelle, Rhaella's namesake, but why excuse what Aegon did wrong during his reign? I personally would like to think that Aegon was weak for allowing such utter disobedience out of his children. I think that Stannis's opinion on the Dragonfly Prince (Duncan) is probably even worse than what he thinks about his great-grandfather given what Duncan did to his family. He refused to make a Baratheon woman Queen of the Seven Kingdoms in preference for marrying a peasant girl and losing his heirship to the Throne for her. 
> 
> Sorry for ranting about him, but I like many things about Aegon V's reign. I like his idealism towards giving the common folk more freedom and rights, but I feel as though his reign is partly responsible for the implosion of House Targaryen, which is disappointing. If only Aegon had properly punished them for their stupidity, than ASOIAF wouldn't be a thing today, I suppose.


	9. Jeyne III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jeyne arrives at the Eyre, alongside Robert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An older version of the children:  
> Davos: Nikita Berezin (even older version: Jake Madden)  
> Mycrella: Anna Popplewell  
> Steffon :Oliver Goodwill  
> Jocelyn :India Eisley  
> Idk I like knowing the appearances of each of my character? But i do. So here it is.

"I swear, I'll keep safe on my journey to the Eyre, darlin'." She smiled at her boy Davos, as he hugged her in a tight embrace. He was so big, he towered over her, and thus flung her right off the ground. Her husband had indeed, given her permission to leave for the Eyre to act as Robert's regentesse and therefore, the de facto Lady of the Eyre, as Robert grew into that status - if he did, that was. She worried about him, in all earnesty - was he capable enough to travel that long way to the Eyre? I hope so. She'd think, wondering about the state of Robert. He had been getting better in terms of health, enough that nobody had to carry him around whilst he walked, but that was for a short amount of time - but she wondered if he was good enough to leave Storm's End. However, her boy in front of her, she put a hand gently over his cheek - he was only ten, and thus had some baby fat on it, as she smiled gently at him. He was dressed in a casual raven/golden colored chainmail top, with the raven and golden insigma attached to the top of it, along with a chainmail hood she could see on drifting on his neck. The chainmail he wore had been dyed a gold to keep in line with family tradition, and made his blue eyes shimmer all the more so. It also made his embrace rather uncomfortable, but he set her down with wide blue-colored eyes, as if he realized he had just hugged her wearing a lugging set of armor. "Sweetie pie, I swear this also just temporary thing - this arrangement between me and Lord Robert, your father is sendin' me to find the best possible candidate for Lord Robert's regency before I come back here and resume my duties as Lady of Storm's End."

  
"I believe you, mother, but please come back safe." He smiled at her- it dawned on her how much he resembled Robert, a younger version at that, and a less ridiculous version of Renly, for he had those sharp, but precise blue-colored eyes, that sharp jaw line, that charming smile he had that reminded her of Robert's. He was a mini version of Robert, and she knew why he was so handsome looking, even as a mere child. His brother came out to greet her, as she stood nearby her horse Maeve, ready to go. She had packed some mini-sandwiches for them to eat, amongst their food supply they had stuffed in the satchel. They had other food stuffed in there, but it wasn't important to note on. Steffon was gently escorting Robert to them, with Robert looking as limp as a doll in Steffon's strong grip, as the two boys came out of the building together - Robert with a cane, and Steffon with a big smile on his face. Both seemed happy to look upon for the most part, however, as Jeyne noted.

  
Robert let go of Steffon, to gently walk towards her towards herself, but not before giving Steffon a rather large hug and thanks for assisting him. It was a nice moment at least in her eyes - they had always gotten along the best of her children, even little Jocelyn, of whom tormented him playfully. Jocelyn was currently off in Stone Helm as this moment - off playing with her friend, Lady Cassandra Swann, of whom's company she enjoyed. Both little girls were rowdy things, with loads of spirit and a tendency for stubbornness and tenacity. Honesty, she always believed that her daughter was the exact opposite of herself - she was a improper thing, whilst even in the Vale, she had always been a mostly proper, dignified lady, besides for when the vicious wildlings attacked her and her friends whenever they tried having a picnic and such, than she got out of her bow and arrow and shot those bloody bastards to timbuktu.

  
"Let us go good mother, I want to see the Vale for myself, truthfully, for mummy and pappy never brought me there..." He sighed, brushing up against the horse with his cane. She had brought him a simple wooden stick with the House Arryn insigma attached to the top of it. The boy seemed wobbly, but the cane kept his weight sturdy against the floor, which was good. She patted his soft light-brown colored hair, noticing it had a bit of ginger wrapped around in there; she also thought that his hair was so nice to the touch. Her sons never had such fine, soft hair, not even as a mere babes, so it was nice to see.

  
"Oh I shall introduce you to all the Lords of the Vale when we get there. Best call them Lords though, as your to be their liege lord and showing respect for one's vessels is paramount for the success of it." She smiled softly. She'd want someone to teach him to be a Lord when they arrived there, whilst the regent ruled the Eyre in his stead. She wondered whom she'd choice - she had a choice, between the gatekeeper Brynden Tully, of whom was there because of Lysa Tully. She sighed -Lysa had ran to the Vale after Jon's death, and thus she'd be a problem. A problem she'd have to fix, in order to keep Robert out of her willy, untrustworthy, grasp of her's - she didn't trust Lysa with him, not after hearing reports of her losing her sanity after her uncle's death. No, she'd end up sending that woman back to the Riverlands - to her father Hoster, of whom she was sure who'd appreciate the company of his daughter.

  
"I will keep that in mind, my lady." He bowed, all serious like. Over the last couple of months since he'd been here, he had been taught a lot about ruling and fighting by Stannis's harsh regime. But he wasn't as harsh on him as he was on that bastard Edric Storm - she had no comment on him, he was a bastard forced on them by Robert's lack of honor with a Florent girl - her name was Selyse, wasn't it? He noted that he didn't note how ugly she was considering he was too deep into her to care about that - in any case, he was sired the very next day after their wedding by a travelling Robert to the Reach. She would've preferred no bastards, but alas, here they were, and Davos made due with him by making him seem like family, somewhat. Her son was a good boy, she appreciated that, but that large-eared boy was a symbol of Robert's infidelious nature, she also wasn't sure if he should be making friends with bastards, even though Edric was a good, hard-working kid and she liked him, it wouldn't look to good on their family - or was she worrying too much? Jeyne always was worried about protecting their family lineage from peril, as was her job as Lady of Storm's End and wife to Stannis Baratheon.

She smiled gently, as she put Robert on the top of the well-stocked saddle. She didn't want him to fall off the horse whilst she was riding, after all, but she also wanted him to say goodbye to his cousins when they left for the Eyre, for they'd likely never see one another again. So it was important to her, at least, that he get a proper goodbye before she took him under her wing.

   
"Goodbye Steffon, I hope to see your collections of bugs are grow more and more grotesque each time. As for you, Davos, I hope for the best for you and your bird, Joy - I hope it flies as high as honor." He gave Davos a wink. She couldn't help but laugh at upon hearing it - yes, Davos's bird did indeed go as High as Honor whenever he wanted it too, to her husband's joy. He watched that bird with Davos for hours on end, as it soared high in the sky, to come back to Davos's arm. He was a natural hawker - which he had inherited from her - she had also helped Stannis with his own birding problem too, when they were young. They use to make love under the stars too, watching for his second pride wing to return to him, as nannies took care of their three children whilst they had a break from their usual activities as Lord and Lady of the Storm's End. Indeed, she made him such a formidable Hawker, that she doubted that Robert would ever humiliate him in that regard again - or she'd defeat him in that regard, that bloody bastard, she knew what he did to Stannis when they were younger with Pride Wing, as Stannis called it, for it represented his pride which Robert threw away without any regard to what he did.

  
Steffon laughed, Davos mildly chuckled before saying. "Always be funny as you are, Robert Arryn. But regardless, I think It's disheartening to be telling you farewell as you go to the Vale. It was rather nice having you here - Jocelyn sure liked having you." Davos responded, with a bright smile on his face. She believed that he was Jocelyn's first crush, despite his weakness, she had somehow won her over with his good heart and bravery, despite his small and weak stature, she appreciated him in ways that nobody else did, and she assumed this crush was both ways, as they both mutually appreciated one another. It was such a heartwarming relationship in Jeyne's eyes that it made her sad that they'd go on about their lives without meeting one another once again - which was disheartening, she wished that Jocelyn was here, to say goodbye to him by giving him a hug or anything really, but alas, she was away... She sighed, feeling saddened by how she'd respond to it. She wondered if Stannis would be able to handle it all good and proper, when Jocelyn came back inquiring as to where she and Robert were.

  
"Oh I'm sure of it. Can you tell Jocie goodbye for me, whenever she returns from.. wherever she's from." He sighed, as she got on the back of the horse. She held him tightly, to prevent him from falling off, and to her, he smelled of most dirt and hard leather. The boy fell into her arms naturally, as she prepared to ride off. However, she'd stare at her two children before her - Steffon and Davos, her two baby boys, she'd obviously say goodbye to them before she went.

  
"We will, as for you mum, have good luck on your journey there." Steffon replied, his eyes bright and wide. His brother put an arm on his shoulders, and smirked along with him.

  
"Oh, my boys, I love you and be good boys whilst I'm away." She smiled at them, before charging off with Lord Robert in tow. It would take many weeks for them to get to the Eyre, but she'd make sure it was worth it all the while though.

  
**______________**

  
The company of two arrived at the Vale after a long exodus across the country, where they first encountered the current Knight of the Bloody Gate - Brynden Tully, she had been told prior that he had been the Ser of the Bloody Gate, and he allowed her in, albeit with a warning about Lysa Tully's mental state.

  
"Lady Arryn, she's gotten ever so horrible ever since you took away the young Lord Robert away from her. Be careful up there, or else she might just chuck you right out of the Moon Door" Brynden Tully was a strong, well-armed man with sharp blue eyes and soft silver-hair - from old age, but she didn't think he looked too old - at least not physically, he was wearing a full suit of silver armor and a sliver helm, of which shined brightly due to the hues of the sun up in the sky. His armor also had tiny red/blue fishes attached to the helms of it. His warning would be heeded - no, she had plans for Lysa Tully, to send her back to Riverrun to spend the rest of her life there under her father's roof. Jeyne sighed upon hearing that warning, about Lysa attempting to throw her out the moon door and such. It wouldn't end well for her - that was for sure, she'd see to it, immediately, to make sure that Lysa was neutered and no longer a threat to herself or Lord Robert's livelihood.

  
"Rest assure, Lord Brynden, that I shall prevent my mother from.. hurting Jenny..." The little boy huffed, as they road along - away from him, although she knew that Brynden was smiling. He hadn't remove his shinny plated helm, but that was good enough. At least he was allowing them to enter the Eyre. 

  
"Thank you darlin'." She hugged against him, as he sat on her lapel. She knew this mountains well enough, but they'd need help to get to where Lysa was on the rather expansive - so that bastard girl of Robert Baratheon's would help them get there, no doubt, considering Jeyne supposed that she had lost some of her knowledge on the mountain given that she was only a mere teenager when she left, and hadn't been back here since. It wouldn't surprise her if she lost her way without any help on the trail, given that little fact.

  
So she'd go get them a guide - in the form of Robert Baratheon's bastard daughter, Mya Storm. She was the new guide after Jeyne left for Storm's End - she use to guide people throughout these mountains as a child, seeing as she was a natural at finding her way around things. But now a days, at the age of two-and eight, she wasn't sure if she was competent enough to lead the party through these hills now that it's been ten years since she's last been here and leading; it was better to be safer than sorry on these kind of hills.

  
______________  
And so they went up the Mountain, riding alongside the raven-haired bastard girl known as Mya Stone. She wore a leather dress - an rather boyish outfit, and her rather short mousy-like hair was cut rather in a disproportionate manner. She also had a donkey on her, which carried food and stuff. She was good company, Jeyne supposed, not a very talkative youngster, but she knew what she was doing, as she navigated them throughout the treacherous hills of the Eyre - and to avoid the dangerous wildings that ran amuck here.

  
"I suggest you be careful with your horse, less it keels over and falls over the cliff." Falling over the cliff - which appeared massive in depth if one decided to look over it, would no doubt kill them all upon impact if they ever fell from this height, Jeyne would think as she looked over the cliff-side with something of nervousness. She'd get off of her horse, to than gentle lead it with Robert seated on top of it, his eyes were wide but full of energy as he looked over the cliff and at her, with a smile on his face. At least he wasn't nervous, that was saying something.. at the very least.

  
"Thank you Mya." She knew that the dangers of them falling off the cliff was prevalent, as they walked on pebbles and occasionally the horse would be spooked enough that it tried jumping Robert off of it, so she decided to take the reigns and walk. She could feel the subtle earth under her feet, the snapping and the crunching of the pebbles, how easy it would be to fall of from such an sharp, yet bitter edge point. Yes, walking on the carefully constructed path in front of them was better than falling off onto the earth below, the ever-so expansive crevasse of the pebbly ground underfoot..

  
The girl gently smiled as they went up and up the dangerous slops of the mountain.  
_______  
Lysa Tully (Arryn)

  
Lysa watched the sunset from one of the gentle windows of the Eyre, wondering when that she-bitch Jeyne Arryn would show her true face, even though her husband said all of these great and grand things about her. He called her Jenny for short, as an affection nickname - and he talked about her when he was ailing due to the poison she had given to him, because her love, Petyr Baelish, told her to do so. He told her that Jon was looking in on things that could hurt her - and she couldn't allow that to come to pass, so she killed him in such a way that nobody would even suspect it was her, not even his precious Jenny. The one thing he loved the most, with her charm and charisma, her beauty, everything about her, he loved her the most - so much so, that his last word were "Jenny" before he slip into oblivion next to the King. She had also visited, with some baked goods and such - and one of her sons, Steffon, to keep her boy comfort whilst his father slips away into death, and therefor, out of her life forevermore. She was free to do whatever she willed, regardless of what others said about it - for it was a woman's world now.

  
"Jeyne Arryn, the thief, the thief that stole my son away, I shall... Petyr, should I push her out the Moon Door?" She asked the handsome man watching her, with those bright blue eyes of his. He was so handsome to look upon - even though nobody else saw it, not even the sister of whom he mooned after, especially not Catelyn, no, only she appreciated him. He was dressed in a tweedy looking outfit - like some commoner, but she'd dress him as fine as her musician someday, if only he'd allow it, he refused her hospitality, to remain looking like some lowborn scum, with that leather outfit of his. He sighed, passing around, his arms behind his back.

  
"No, keep her alive." He said, as he played with his pickit javillan with his hand behind his back, as though he were concentrating on something - but than again, he was always concentrating on something. She didn't know what he was thinking about, but she loved whatever he was doing - it made him seem so  _hot_ to her, and  _oh_ she hadn't felt that way in ages about him.

  
"Why, Petyr, she'll -- only tear us apart, she's a conniving she-bitch Petyr, she'll send me back to the Riverlands to my father, and you know what my father did to me, did to _our_ baby." Her eyes filled with tears, as she remembered taking that drink her father wanted for her - it had murdered her baby, her baby with Petyr, the man she loved and wanted to marry, but that her father in rigid disgust, had refused with utterance.

  
"For starters, she's the Lady of Storm's End and a full-fledged member of House Arryn, and with her death, you'll find yourself very much alone as the Eyre erupt into chaos. They'll know you murdered her, Lysa, be rational, don't kill Lady Arryn." His words gave her comfort, as she sobbed on his chest, besides herself. She didn't care if he wasn't holding her, as he should - no, she only wanted him and him alone to comfort her grievances.

  
"Storm's End doesn't frighten me. The entire strength of the Stormlands would do nought against the might of the Moon Door, that has held back and even thrown enemies into chaos. It would not nought." As for the Eyre - well, she could always make up an excuse for Jeyne's rather untimely death, now couldn't she?

  
"Lysa don't be irrational and kill Jeyne Arryn, she's more valuable to us alive than dead."

  
"Why not, Petyr, tell why I shouldn't have her be pushed out the moon door? What's so valuable to her? She has my son - my son Petyr, and she's coming this way too..." She wondered why he was defending her - that woman, whom was the jewel of Jon's life. To herself personally, she felt that Jon had more romantic attraction to Jeyne than he did herself, with the names he called her. He had told her that he had named her after his first wife - Jeyne Royce, when she came into the world via her mother, Bethany Royce, because she bore a striking resemblance to Jeyne, his deceased wife. Both supposedly had blonde hair and blue eyes, and he wanted to have been reminded of her, as he died, at the very least, considering he had crocked out his affection nickname for her upon his rather sudden death.

  
He sighed, "Your son will never forgive you for killing his aunt of sorts - maybe, he'll even suspect it was you, Lysa, of orchestrated the death of Jeyne." His words were wise, but she wasn't so certain yet, anyhow. How would a five year old know anything of the sorts? He wouldn't know, for she wouldn't allow it - no, in time, he'd forgot all about Jeyne and be her son, as is proper.

  
She sighed, before hugging him. "Thank you for your words of wisdom, I'll accept it." I'll think about it. She'd think. What would she do with Jeyne Arryn? That woman could cause all sorts of trouble, and thus would have to dealt with swiftly - would she chain Jeyne Arryn in the prisons? Throw her out the moon door? So little time and so much she could do to Jeyne before the time was up. Or she could just befriend the woman, but what use was that? She likely had some control over her precious boy, which was a big no no - Jeyne Arryn was in her Kingdom, not the other way around this time, and she'd make sure of it. She was not to see Robert until she was sure he was fine and all-well, with no Jeyne influence anywhere near him.


	10. Jeyne IV and Catelyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jeyne has to deal with Lysa Tully. Catelyn Stark comes to the Eyrie under the farce assumption that it is her sister whom rules over the Vale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Lysa is technically Lady Arryn due to her marriage to Lord Jon Arryn, but I call her Lady Tully to avoid her being confused with Jeyne, of whom's also Lady Arryn (she did not change her last name upon her marriage to Stannis, seeing as his house is much younger than her own or something like that, idk, I'm just guessing honestly, lmao).

Jeyne Arryn,

"My Lady Tully, please leave the Vale at once, I have everything covered here." That was the very first thing she said to Lysa Arryn, upon seeing her sagging upon Jon Arryn's silver Falcon Throne. She was dressed in a midnight colored dress, which Jeyne assumed she wore because she was in mourning for Jon Arryn, her late husband and the father of Robert Arryn, her only son and child thus far. Her eyes were watery, her face was puffed up like a puffer-fish of sorts, and she looked slightly overweight, with large, sagging breasts and robust hips. Her almost squinted blue eyes looked at her with a great deal of suspicion, as she approached Jeyne from her position from Jon's throne. She looked so robust sitting on her throne, so scrunched up, that her getting up from her position seemed to relieve whatever pain she was having, as she huffed redundantly as she got off her throne. After doing that almost painful looking task, Lysa then dramatically approached her as she took tiny steps down the pearl white steps, with her watery blue eyes firmly fixated on Robert, whom she was holding in arms, with a something of sinister smile on her face, which gave Jeyne some goosebumps. It was rather unnerving, seeing those meaty lips of Lysa’s giving anything but a perpetual frown.

"No, Jeyne Arryn, you will give me my son and leave, or you'll be joining Jon Arryn, your uncle, in the after life." She responded in turn, as she stared at her boy, of whom Jeyne had picked up and carried in here like a toddler. He was hugging Jeyne tightly, as she saw the look on Lysa's almost-vicious like puffed up face. Jeyne wasn't scared of the woman; if she was killed, than Robert would join her, leaving Lysa all alone as both a Kinslayer of her own beloved son, and the murderess of Stannis Baratheon's lovely Lady consort. It wouldn't end well for her, that was for certain. Stannis would hunt her across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond if Lysa decided to do to murder her or even hurt her in the slightest - for Stannis was the kind of man that would do anything for his family, and she knew it well. He defended her honor countless times in court whenever Cersei hurled an insult about her in his face, like a fickle she-bitch who cared very little about anyone or anything besides for herself and her own brood. She had no heard Cersei say anything positive about other any woman in the court - most likely because half of them were likely in bed with Robert, but that was not the point, she doubted Cersei liked other woman.

"No." Jeyne responded simply, unafraid of her, as the boy hugged against her ever-so tightly.

She tried getting the boy out of her reach, for the boy to instead lung and bite Lysa, which caused the woman to gasp and walk away from him immediately. To Jeyne personally, that was a clear indication of whom he was choosing to trust in this moment. He hadn't bitten herself, no, instead he whispered gently into her ear, and she could smell his breath - which smelled pleasantly of roses and a soapy smell, as she had forced him to watch his teeth on their way here - it was not a bothersome activity, for there were plenty of gentle rivers and streams a strewed across Westeros; the moist scent of roses were from the roses he had picked for her on their way here, even though the lovely collection had died rather unfortunately on their way to the Eyrie. Even though she had managed to save one of little red petal by sticking it into her journal, which Stannis had given to her on the eve of their first Wedding anniversary, as he knew that she loved to write things, like the worried, nervous person she was. She had always been a sucker for taking track of supplies and whatnot as well - which is one of the reasons why Jon Arryn had made her the Guide for the various expeditions of people wishing to speak to him, for she'd note everything down in her journal, the environments, the people, and she had even mapped out a system inside of her journal to insure that she'd wouldn't get lost leading them from point A to point B. It was a shame that journal had been lost though, and thus she had to rely on someone else to get her up the Eyrie safely - she wasn't so arrogant that she wouldn't accept help on something that she hadn't been up for nearly a decade anyhow, and besides, only a fool wouldn't accept aid on the treacherous slopes of the Eyrie for they could easily find themselves being ambushed by the dangerous Wildings that hid their cunning traps upon unsuspecting fools coming into the Eyrie.

"Jenny, mummy's scaring me with her tryin’ to take me away from you." He said quietly, holding onto her even stronger as a result of Lysa's efforts to peel the boy off of her. The look on Lysa's face was distraught, which she couldn't blame her for, when she realized she was having no effect on Robert’s hold of her currently. Jeyne gently tried comforting the boy by patting him on the head and gently telling him everything was gonna be just fine - to prevent him from having one of those bloody attacks he sometimes got when he was scared, but he wasn't shaking thankfully, no he was remaining completely still in her arms, to her great relief. 

"Lysa, your scaring your boy..." She stated softly, knowing full to well about his condition. It worried her, because it might start up acting up even with Maester Cressen home remedy for his shaking symptoms.

"Please mummy, please leave, I _command_ you too as your Lord. I command you to go back to the Riverlands to grandfather, as Lord of the Eyrie and of the Vale itself, I demand you to do so in a timely manner, to allow Jeyne to pick out and appoint my regent." He had said this as Jeyne put the boy on the floor, as to allow him to walk, and he had walked straight up to his rather heartbroken looking mother to say this. She sobbed besides herself, which made Jeyne feel a little bad, but it was good to see that Maester Cressen’s rather short training of the boy had some affect on him, as he stared directly into her blue eyes as he said this to his own mother of all things. She sobbed besides herself, and ran off immediately, not even bothering with the lad anymore, as the cream/blue guards came to collect her. They were simply following their lords orders on what to do with Lady Tully, even though she was putting up quite the pathetic show, as if she could get pity points out of her just after she threatened to murder her. She'd feel no pity for Lady Tully's appeal, but would watch the show she was putting up, with nothing more than a straight face. It seemed to make Lady Tully angry, that she was just watching her petty party with the guards, but Jeyne knew that Lady Tully could do her no harm, as Jeyne was being surrounded by guards to protect her person. She stood back from the scene, as the guards took Lady Tully away. She wondered what Lord Hoster, the lady's father, would do with his rather depressed daughter when he got her? She hoped whatever it was, it was to comfort whatever pains pained Lady Tully at this interval.

 Robert didn't even look at his own mother, as she tried fruitlessly to appeal to his mercy, as the little boy begun an up-taking up the shimmering white stairs, to the platform where the Arryn Throne sat. She also noted that the little boy was watching each step carefully to avoid falling off suddenly, or losing his balance and what not, but Jeyne was sure he’d surely end up there, and was encouraging him in this, by standing on top of the platform to tell him he was being amazingly strong, like his father, which resulted in him giving her smiles as he pushed on. She'd had offered to help him get there by carrying him up the steps, but he had refused to do it independently - without her assistance. She was proud of him for doing so - it showed character on his part.

"Jeyne, I'm a Lord, a Lord must do his own lifting, or else they might be seen as weak by his people, Jeyne. Stannis once told me, when he found out that my father was dead,  that all Lords must be confident in their abilities, and must be seen capable to carry load of their people upon their backs - and by me doing this, despite my shaking symptoms, I figure I'm metaphorically carrying the Eyrie and it's inhabitants upon my back." He said with something of a smile. She admired his willingness to do this, despite his outer weakness - for internally to her at least, he seemed strong. She'd think he'd make a good Lord someday someday with that kind of galvanize attitude he was showing at the moment.   

"Stannis would be proud of you." She responded, smiling at him.

"Yes, I figured he would. I'm also doing this for you too, Jenny, and for Steffon. Can you tell him I'm doing this? He'd be proud of me right?" He sounded slightly insecure - but he was getting up the stairs in good time. Soon enough, he'd be at the head of the chair. She'd also offer to get him off of there too, but he gave her waved her effort away, as he succeeded his metaphorical exodus onto the silver Arryn chair with a minimal effort seeing as the chair wasn’t very tall, and sat on it promptly, like a proper Lord. She ran to his right side, to hold his hand, to show that she was pleased and joyed for his mini-sub adventure on the stairs leading up to the Falcon Chair. She was indeed proud of him, for preserving on through the chair obstacle, despite his illness and weak body. It showed a lot about his character, for him to be able to do this -and the best part was, that she saw that he had not once shaked at all during this time.

"I'm personally proud of you for preserving to where you currently are, despite your illness, sweetie, it makes you seem so strong to me." She was so thrilled about this - when they first got him, he was so arrogant, that he assumed he could beat Steffon at sword's play, which he soon learned wasn't true. It would seem now, that he had been humbled by his rather limited express with her family at Storm's End, which was a good thing -the Vale was need of a strong ruler in the days to pass.

"Thank you, my Lady, I hope to see that weakness, as you put it, does not affect my character. In fact, I hope to be a great ruler, the kind of that father wanted me to be." He responded, softly, as he leaned back on the chair. He was so small, so weak looking externally, but yet he looked so strong to her, as mighty as the Dragon Kings of whom seated on the vast Iron Throne. She thought he'd look positively grand with the Falcon Crown upon his auburn curls, because in her mind, he'd look fabulous sitting there. He looked the part of a leader, despite being only a mere child of five, so she only assumed that he'd grow into his position as a ruler with a level of ease.

She nodded - as for his comments about Jon at least, at least he died before another one of his family died. She had been so close to being Jon's heir, when his two other spare heirs died during Robert's Rebellion - and she knew it too, he had so often, but it seemed rather disheartened almost, that he hadn't allowed her to be Lady Jeyne Arryn of the Eyrie. She had wondered why he hadn't, until she realized; that he had always meant to marry her off to some High Lord and that her being ruling Lady in her own right had never been in the cards for her. Not even after they died, and Jon was left virtually devoid of any potential male heirs besides for herself, of course, he had never changed his mind about her fate as a mere Consort. She supposed she should be insulted by it, but the world had never been fair - especially not for noble woman, like herself.

__________

Catelyn,

"Where's my sister." Catelyn Stark was outraged by the news, for she had with her the very man that caused the downfall of her baby boy - and not to mention, she hadn't heard any reports of Lysa leaving these towers in sometime. But she had heard that the Lord of the Eyrie had returned from Storm's End back to the Eyrie in recent months, alongside Lord Baratheon's vibrant wife, Lady Arryn. But she had no idea if this was really true or not, given how reports could very well be misleading. But she wanted justice for Bran, her baby, of whom he pushed off a building - she knew it, she had his knife, even though he claimed otherwise, of course, but he could very well be lying, so why would she trust his words?

"In the Riverlands, Cat. She's been gone for weeks now as Lady Arryn had kicked her out." He sighed. Those words hurt her - she possibly could've encountered her on her way to the inn. She had no idea honestly - would Lady Arryn accept them? Or would she even care about them and their problems?

"What happened? Why would she leave the Eyrie? I have so many questions, and I'd prefer them to be answered." The Dwarf was smiling, as the men hold him with ropes. She felt like he was mocking her with his smile. It looked to her, like her plan was falling apart by the seams, as she had plans to see her sister whom could give her the proper justice she required for her son - by this murder's hands, more or less.

"Because Lady Arryn kicked her out when she arrived with the little Lord in tow, but young Robert says I should stay. He says he feels more secure because I'm here - and Lady Arryn doesn't object to my presence here. It's glad to feel welcomed, at the very least, but I should be wary about you and your _prisoner_ I would assume seeing as he’s been chained- the gracious Lady might not accept you and might export you out of the Vale immediately, in order to avoid whatever wroth the Lannister’s might have for you kidnapping one of their own  - for the good Lady most likely does not wish to be seen as treasonous to the Crown. But your welcome to try and get her to judge him, if that's your intent here, but otherwise, I wish you all the best, Cat." His advice did not give Catelyn much hope, as the large door of the Bloody Gate opened, letting them through. Would Lady Arryn accept their presence, or otherwise? Or would this all be for nought? She wondered this, without much hope in her heart left - that he'd be able to get away with his crime, on the order of Lady Arryn of whom refused to answer them. She hoped that Lady Arryn could see a criminal for what he really was - and had any justice in her heart, or anything related to a mother's love for a child. She was here afterall, to seek justice for the attempt on Brandon's life. She had seen that assassin of his, of whom bore the Valyrian steel of this impudent dwarf's, for what reason and purpose had attempted  to murder her child -but as to why, she had no idea, and had tried asking him this, but he refused to answer her on this, saying it was Littlefingers doing for it was not his steel, but Petyr Baelish's, but as far she could see she had no idea if she could believe his words as fact, for he might by attempting to fool her with some cunning lies. Only justice would tell if he were innocent or not - if of course, Jeyne Arryn would Shepard her just cause. Time would only tell if Jeyne had a heart or not, or if she'd be turned away cold by Lady Arryn's council on the matter.

"Well, I see you have a problem Lady Stark - should we turn around and let us be taken by my father's folks? They're sure to find us sooner or later, my dearest Lady." The dwarf's commentary on the situation was not helping the matters at t'all. She frowned at him, as the party of four continued through the vast gate, on their way to the Vale Guide, whom would guide them up the mountain safely - or at least as safely as possible, Catelyn did not wish to be attacked by the barbaric wildings she had heard so much about. She could only hope that they were less savage than the wildings they had on the other side of the Wall, or _even_ be less dangerous, but those were frivolous thoughts - these wildings were an ever present danger to the Eyrie, and thus caution must be taken with them.

"We can only hope that Lady Arryn can accept justice for a son." She'd say matter of factly. _Or she has no idea on a mother's love for a child._ She'd walk with confidence, for lacking in it would only serve to make her look fool-hardy if she didn't act this way - if she acted weak in any way now, than everything would fall apart now from the seems upward, and she could not allow that to come to pass. She had to be strong, it was the only way that she could possibly seem that way, even though inertly she could feel her plans turn to dust, and thus, she felt as weak as she did when she first heard that her son had fallen off and hurt himself. She could never let anyone know of course, that her plan hinged on Lady Arryn's mercy.


End file.
